Empathy
by Finmonster
Summary: Moving to a new city has been hard for Riley Andersen, but when she starts making new friends, it begins to get better. But new friends brings new, tragic problems. Now Riley and her friends have to learn how to deal with these changes, learn to trust their feelings and discover strengths they never knew they had.
1. Chance Encounters

**Empathy**

 **Chapter 1: Chance Encounters**

The bright, neon lights of San Fransokyo flooded the night sky above the city, casting it in a myriad of colors that danced across the bay and blocked out the stars in the night sky. Advertisements hung from buildings, hawking their wares to those passing on the streets below. Some places though were darker and quieter than others, with only the occasional person walking under the pale, yellow glow cast by the streetlights, past buildings decorated with graffiti instead of advertisements.

One such person was a young girl, no older than twelve. She had a slim, adolescent physique over which she wore a black jacket and dark jeans, a blue backpack strapped around her shoulders. She absentmindedly tucked some of her shoulder-length, dirty blonde hair behind her ear before wiping tears from her blue eyes.

"How could I be so stupid?" she questioned herself quietly as she walked by an alley lit by neon signs. As she did, she paused to take a look around, a lost expression on her face.

"Not only that, but you managed to get yourself lost too," the girl muttered in frustration, "Nice job, Riley."

Sticking her hand into her pocket, the girl, Riley, fished a cellphone out and looked at it, before groaning as the device helpfully informed her that she had no signal.

"Figures," Riley groused as she slid her phone back into her pocket, "Now what do I do?"

As Riley thought, the unmistakeable sound of people talking floated down to her from the alley. Turning her attention towards where she assumed the sounds originated from, Riley could pick up a number of voices, though she couldn't tell what they were saying, if they were saying anything at all. What she could tell though was they were excited about something.

"Well, people are a good sign," Riley commented before a look of uncertainty passed over her features, "I think."

Riley stood at the entrance for a few moments, making hesitant motions as she listened to the unintelligible voices.

"Maybe someone will let me use their phone," Riley pondered aloud, "Or at least give me directions."

Riley glanced around at her dirty, graffiti-marked surroundings, a cat yowling as a trash can turned over somewhere nearby.

"Probably not the best part of town to be asking for directions in," Riley mused.

Riley took another moment to think over her situation before sighing.

"Not like I have much of a choice though," she concluded, "Certainly beats standing here, talking to myself. Don't want people to think I'm hearing voices or something."

With that, Riley gripped the straps of her backpack before walking into the alley, following the sound of the people somewhere nearby. As she walked, Riley found the alley was one of many that seemed to form a grime-encrusted labyrinth that wound its way behind and between the brick and concrete buildings that surrounded her. Following the voices as they grew closer and louder, Riley found herself at a crossroads of sorts, brightly lit by a lamp that hung from one of the walls. A large crowd of people, mostly those in their twenties, stood with their backs to Riley, cheering for something that she couldn't see.

"Excuse me, can you-" Riley began to say, walking up to the first person she saw but the words died in her throat as the young man shot her a confused and annoyed glance before stepping away from her. Riley got much the same reaction from most of the other people she tried to talk to, leading her deeper into the crowd.

Just as she was about to ask another person for help, a huge cheer went up from the crowd, drawing her attention towards where everyone was looking. Squinting her eyes in curiosity, Riley stepped forward through the crowd trying to get a look at what everyone was watching. Eventually, she was able to get a clear view and gasped at what she saw.

The crowd were circled around what looked like a makeshift arena, little more than a circle drawn on the ground. Inside the circle were two bipedal robots, both of which stood shorter than Riley's knee. The two robots, one red, the other black with a potbelly, clashed with one another, fighting as the crowd cheered them on.

Two people sat on opposite sides of the arena, one a tough looking young woman, the other a large, heavy-set man dressed in a purple and yellow tracksuit. Both appeared to be in command of one of the robots with the controllers they each held in their hands.

"Bot fight," Riley whispered to herself, her eyes wide as she watched the black robot grab hold of the red one before producing a buzzsaw that it proceeded to use to tear the other robot apart, the crowd shouting in excitement as scraps flew all over the arena.

"The winner, by way of total annihilation!" a woman wearing an eyepatch declared as she walked over to the large man's side as the other woman picked up the remains of her robot, "Yama!"

"Who is next!?" the man, Yama, bellowed with a laugh as he stood up, holding his robot aloft, "Who has the guts to step into the ring with Little Yama!?"

Glancing around, she saw members of the crowd shying away from the challenge despite having robots of their own, clearly cowed by the brutal execution of Little Yama's last opponent.

"Can I try?" a hesitant voice spoke up, drawing everyone's, including Riley's, attention.

The crowd parted and Riley could see a boy, only a year or two older than she was. He had pale features and bushy, black hair that seemed to stick out in every direction. He had a blue, zip-up, hooded sweatshirt that he wore open to display his red t-shirt underneath, along with khaki cargo shorts and dirty, white sneakers.

"I have a robot. I built it myself." the boy said awkwardly, holding up a small robot that seemed to be made up of three ball joints with two prongs coming off of each, looking like a little person with large, rabbit-like ears. From her distance, Riley could just make out the yellow, cartoon face that the boy had drawn on one of the robot's ball joints.

There was a pause as Yama regarded the boy and his robot before he laughed, prompting most of the crowd to laugh as well, causing Riley to feel a pang of sympathy for the boy.

"Beat it, kid," the woman with the eyepatch scoffed as she held up a tray, "House rules. You've got to pay to play."

"Oh," the boy said as if surprised by the question, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of crumpled up bills and an odd assortment of coins, "Is this enough?"

"What's your name, little boy?" Yama questioned in amusement.

"Hiro," the boy answered, a semi-confident smile on his face, "Hiro Hamada and this is Megabot."

"Prepare your bot, Zero," Yama said threateningly as the woman reached out to take both of their wagers before the two of them took their places on opposite sides of the arena, setting their bots down in front of them.

"Two bots enter," the woman announced as the crowd clustered around the arena, bringing Riley with them, "One bot leaves. Fighters ready? Fight!"

Riley felt that if she had blinked, she would have missed the entire fight as Little Yama easily sliced Megabot apart at the joints as it rushed forward. The crowd cheered and laughed as Hiro looked at the remains of his little bot in shock.

"That….That was my first fight," Hiro said, giving Yama a pleading look, "Give me another chance."

"Nobody likes a sore loser, little boy," Yama sneered as he began collecting the money from the tray, "Run on home."

"I have more money," Hiro stated as he held up a neat roll of bills, sharply contrasting with the crumpled wad of cash he had produced before.

"Where is he getting all this money?" Riley pondered aloud, narrowing her eyes as Hiro placed the cash on the tray with the rest of the money, Yama adding more of his own to make the pot even.

As the two set up to fight once more, the three pieces of Megabot suddenly sprung to life, rolling around on their ball joints before reconnecting. Riley's eye widened at this, though nobody else seemed to notice.

"If it could do that the whole time, how did he lose?" Riley questioned watching Hiro closely as the fight began. Hiro's previous nervousness was gone, replaced by a cool confidence as he pulled the controller apart, revealing it to be far more complex than it had appeared before.

"He's hustling him," Riley realized with shock.

"Megabot," Hiro muttered with a savage grin as the bot's faceplate shifted, switching to a red face with a predatory smile, "Destroy."

What followed was a slaughter as Megabot displayed speed and agility leagues greater than it had in the last fight, Hiro controlling the bot with an almost bored expression. The bot danced around Little Yama, breaking apart at times to better dodge the other bot's attacks, the pieces displaying the ability to connect in a long snake-like line in addition to their normal configuration. Slithering up Little Yama's back, Megabot ripped off the bot's arm before proceeding to use the same appendage to hack off Little Yama's other limb. With its opponent now defenseless, Megabot crawled up to Little Yama's shoulders, wrapped itself around the other bot's neck like a boa constrictor and popped its head off.

"What!?" Yama muttered in incredulous shock as he picked up the pieces of his bot, "How!?"

"Beginner's luck, I guess," Hiro said smugly as he began to collect the money from the tray, not noticing as the crowd started to fearfully disperse, "Want to go again….?"

The words died in Hiro's throat as he found Yama looming over him. Riley watched with wide eyes as Yama grabbed Hiro and dragged the young man into another alley, followed by three thuggish looking men. Riley hesitated for a moment as she gripped the straps of her backpack tightly, frozen by indecision. She'd seen what these guys do to robots. What would they do to a person? Narrowing her eyes and steeling her resolve, Riley jogged in the direction Yama and his men had gone with Hiro.

"No one hustles Yama!" Riley heard Yama shout as she came to a corner. Glancing around it, she saw Yama shove Hiro against a wall as his men surrounded the young man.

"Teach this punk a lesson," Yama growled as he began walking away down another alley as his men closed in on Hiro. Desperately trying to think of a way to help, Riley glanced around, before noticing a hockey stick sitting in a trash can nearby. As she looked at the stick, Riley reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, an idea forming in her head.

"Hey guys," Hiro said nervously, backing against the wall as his eyes darted between the three men, "Let's talk about this."

"Hey fellas!" Riley's voice rang out, bringing everyone's attention to her as she stood a few feet away from them with her phone held out in front of her with one hand and the hockey stick in the other, "Say cheese!"

Riley took a photo with her camera, causing the flash to go off in the men's unexpecting faces. Dazzled, the men stumbled back a step, allowing Riley to dart forward and sweep the hockey stick against the back of one of the thugs' legs, knocking him to the ground. Before the other two could recover, Riley ran up and checked one of them hard with her shoulder, sending the already off balance man stumbling into the other, sending them both falling to the ground. Tossing the hockey stick aside, Riley grabbed Hiro's wrist as the young man tried to blink the spots from his eyes.

"Come on!" Riley shouted before she took off running the way she had come, dragging Hiro along behind her as the young man struggled to find his feet.

"What's going on!?" Hiro questioned, his vision clearing as Yama let out an angry shout from behind them.

"I'm saving your butt, that's what!" Riley shouted back as Hiro fell into step besides her, "Now come on!"

Darting around a corner, Riley and Hiro found themselves at a T-shaped intersection of alleyways.

"Now what?" Hiro questioned as he looked around.

"I-I don't know!" Riley admitted, her eyes darting in both direction, her features screwed up in a lost expression.

"What do you mean you don't know!?" Hiro demanded with a panicked tone.

"I mean-" Riley began to say but was cut off as Yama and his men came around the corner.

"There they are!" Yama shouted, pointing angrily at Hiro and Riley as he and his men rushed towards them.

Before the men could reach them though, a young man on a red scooter came roaring down one of the alleys, stopping between the children and the men. The rider was a young man, with features similar to Hiro's, though he seemed to be in his early twenties with a lanky build and short hair. He wore a light blue, button-up shirt over a white t-shirt along with dark blue jeans, red sneakers and a black riding helmet with goggles.

"Tadashi!" Hiro exclaimed happily.

"Get on!" Tadashi shouted, prompting Hiro to grab Riley's hand and drag her over to the scooter, the two of them hopping onto the back, Riley sitting behind Hiro, before Tadashi revved the engine and the scooter zipped away.

"Great timing, bro!" Hiro shouted as he pat Tadashi on the back.

"Are you okay?" Tadashi questioned as he handed Hiro a white riding helmet to Hiro.

"Yeah," Hiro replied, the boy hesitating for a moment before turning around and placing the helmet on Riley's head, the large helmet almost covering her eyes.

"Are you hurt?" Tadashi pressed as they sped along.

"No," Hiro answered.

"Then what were you thinking!?" Tadashi demanded as he blindly slapped at Hiro, one of his blows accidentally striking Riley, causing her to let out a surprised yelp. Glancing back in confusion, Tadashi's eyes widened in surprise as he seemed to notice Riley for the first time.

"Sorry!" Tadashi apologized with an embarrassed look, "Hiro, who's your friend?"

"Oh, she saved my butt, she's-" Hiro began to say before a look of realization cross his features, "Hey, I never caught your name!"

"It's Riley!" she replied loudly lest the wind carry away her words.

"Nice to meet you, Riley!" Hiro replied with a chuckle, "I'm Hiro, and this is my big brother, Tadashi."

"Nice to meet you," Tadashi added, before his eyes went wide as he saw they were approaching a dead end, "Damnit, hold on!"

Tadashi slammed on the brakes and pulled a sharp U-turn, prompting Hiro to grab onto his seat and Riley to grab onto the back of Hiro's shirt as they swung around and took off again. Shooting back down the alley, Tadashi spot Yama and his men running towards them, taking up most of the alley. Glancing to the side, he spotted a thick board angled against a stack of boxes near one of the walls and a thought formed in his head.

"Hold tight!" Tadashi ordered as he veered the scooter towards the board, riding up it before ramping out into the open air. Yama and his men looked up in shock as the scooter sailed over their heads.

As they flew, Hiro let out a whoop of excitement, glancing at a nearby window as they went. As he did, he caught sight of his reflection, specifically the sight of Riley clinging to him. Riley's grip had shifted so that she had wrapped her arms around Hiro's torso, clinging to him closely to provide stability, the boy only just then noticing the feeling of her pressed against him. Riley's blue eyes were wide and shining and her face was split by an excited grin as she looked forward over Hiro's shoulder. A split second later and the image was gone, though Hiro could feel his face heating up despite the wind whipping against it.

Hiro was snapped from his thoughts by the sharp jostle of the scooter landing, causing both him and Riley to hop out of their seats. Their combined weight from Riley gripping onto him almost sent them both falling off the scooter, but Hiro managed to grab hold of the seat and steady them.

"Oh man, sorry!" Riley apologized, her face flushing as well as she quickly let go of Hiro.

"D-Don't worry about it!" Hiro replied, smiling awkwardly back at Riley.

"I can't believe you, Hiro!" Tadashi snapped, bringing his younger brother's attention back to him, "You graduate high school at thirteen and this is how you spend your time!? Bot fighting is illegal, you know!"

"Actually bot fighting is not illegal," Hiro corrected, "Now, betting on bot fighting, that's illegal but so lucrative."

Tadashi sighed and shook his head as they sped around a corner.

"Come on, Tadashi, look!" Hiro said as he held out a stack of the money he had one, "I'm on a roll! There's no stopping me now!"

As Hiro said this, they approached an exit to the alley. Suddenly, the exit was cut off as a police car screeched to a halt in front of it, it's lights flashing red and blue as its siren wailed. Tadashi slammed on the breaks and the scooter skidded to a halt, the three of them looking with wide eyes as the police quickly began pouring out of their squad cars.

"Oh boy," Hiro mumbled.

 _Later,_

Harsh, fluorescent lights illuminated the holding cell in the back of the police station, the light contrasting against the unpainted concrete walls and iron bars of the cells. Hiro and Riley sat together on a hard, metal bench in a cell reserved for minors while Tadashi was locked in with the general population, which included Yama and a few of his thugs.

Hiro looked guiltily at his brother, who only offered a glare in reply as he stood by the bars in the crowded cell. Glancing to the side, a look of concern crossed his face as his eyes fell on Riley. Following his brother's gaze, Hiro saw Riley had curled up in a ball, resting her forehead against her knees with her arms wrapped around her legs. Hiro glanced at Tadashi, who nodded his head in Riley's direction.

"Hey," Hiro spoke up after a moment, "Are you okay?"

"No," Riley grumbled, lifting her head up and resting her chin on her knees as she glared at Hiro, "No, I'm not. This is literally the worst day of my life!"

"Hey, it's okay," Hiro tried to placate her, "I mean, this isn't a big offence and we're still minors with no records. At least, I'm guessing you have no record. They're probably not even going to charge us."

"You don't get it," Riley replied as she looked away from Hiro.

"Then….then explain it to me," Hiro pressed.

"How can I be so stupid?" Riley berated herself, ignoring Hiro, "Not only did I decide to run away from home but now my parents have to pick me up from jail!"

Riley growled in frustration and buried her head behind her knees again as Hiro looked at her in surprise.

"You….you ran away?" Hiro questioned.

"Y-Yeah…." Riley replied, lifting her head slightly and peeking at Hiro from behind the strands of her hair.

"Why?" Hiro pressed.

"I'm….I'm not from around here," Riley explained, sitting up more as she talked to Hiro, "I'm originally from Minnesota."

"Minnesota?" Hiro questioned in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"My dad is a kind of tech guy," Riley explained, "He's a higher up in kind of a small company that makes bot parts. With that….you know, incident that happened a few years back, San Fransokyo has been the robot capital of the world. So, when his company expanded here, they sent him to help run it."

"And you came with him," Tadashi surmised.

"And I came with him," Riley confirmed.

"But why try to leave?" Hiro questioned in confusion.

"Why?" Riley asked, giving Hiro an incredulous expression, "Because I hate it here."

"Hate it?" Hiro asked in surprise, "What's to hate?"

"Everything," Riley muttered darkly, "Everything is different here. The weather never changes. Nobody plays, or even seems to like hockey. I don't know anyone here except my own parents. You guys put broccoli on your pizza for crying out loud!"

The Hamada brothers made identical, disgusted expression, before a thought came to Tadashi.

"Wait, broccoli?" Tadashi questioned, earning a nod from Riley, "Is this from a little pizza shop staffed by a really dour goth girl? Do you live near there?"

"Yeah, like a street over," Riley replied, blinking in surprise, "How did you know?"

"We live like a block from that place," Tadashi said with a laugh, "Small world, huh?"

"Yeah," Riley answered with a small smile of her own.

"Didn't you try to ask that girl out once?" Hiro questioned as he smiled wryly at Tadashi.

"Shut up," Tadashi replied, shooting his brother a glare before turning his attention back towards Riley, "Seriously though, we live in the apartment above our aunt's cafe, the Lucky Cat. Best pastries in the city. You should stop by."

"I guess so," Riley agreed with a smirk, the expression quickly replaced with a frown as she glanced around at her surroundings, "When we get out of here that is."

"Yeah," Hiro agreed with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, "Aunt Cass is going to kill us."

"You keep mentioning your aunt," Riley observed, "Don't you live with your parents?"

The Hamada brothers shared an uncomfortable look and Riley felt a cold lump in the pit of her stomach.

"Our parents died about a decade ago," Tadashi explained, "Our Aunt Cass takes care of us."

"Oh….Oh God, I'm so sorry," Riley apologized, looking at Hiro with wide eyes, the boy's gaze focused on his shoes.

"Don't worry about it," Tadashi said, trying to mollify her with a sad smile, "There's no way you could have known."

"Still," Riley sighed, leaning her head back to rest against the concrete wall, "You can just add that to the list of stupid things I've done today."

"Why try to go back to Minnesota?" Hiro questioned, lifting his head to look at Riley again.

"I don't know, it's so stupid now that I really think about it." Riley groaned, "I was happy back there. I've barely been happy at all since we moved here. I thought maybe I could be happy again if I went back."

"Did you try talking to your parents about that?" Tadashi suggested.

"I couldn't do that," Riley answered with a shake of her head, "They've been under so much pressure because of it all….I had to be strong for them. But I wasn't strong enough."

"Riley," Tadashi said, the quiet intensity in his voice causing the girl to lower her head to look at him, "You can't do that to yourself. You can't put that kind of weight on your shoulders. No parent would want that. You should tell them how you feel."

Riley looked at Tadashi quietly for a few moments, her blue eyes locking with his brown ones. Slowly, she turned to look at Hiro, who offered her a small smile.

"Tadashi is really good at helping people," Hiro stated, "It's kind of his thing. If he gives you advice, you're best off taking it."

Riley gave Hiro a small smile back as the door to the holding area creaked open and a police officer carrying a clipboard walked in.

"Riley Andersen?" the police officer questioned, glancing around the holding cells, "Which one of you is Riley Andersen?"

"That's me," Riley spoke up as she walked to the front of the cell.

"Your parents are Bill and Jill Andersen?" the officer asked as he looked down at her, earning a nod from the girl, "They're here to get you, though I might have to hold you for a little while. Ask you a few questions about what happened tonight."

Riley's face fell at the words while Hiro looked at her with a troubled expression. Glancing at Tadashi, Hiro saw his brother give him an encouraging nod before a determined look crossed the boy's features.

"Officer wait!" Hiro spoke up, trotting to Riley's side as she and the officer looked at him, "She didn't have anything to do with the betting. That was all me. She was just lost and happened to be there to pull my butt out of the fire. My brother too."

"You're confessing to this?" the officer questioned, arching an eyebrow at Hiro.

"I….I am," Hiro answered with a resolute nod, not noticing the wide eyed look Riley was giving him, "The betting at least. I didn't organize it or anything."

"Well, luckily for you, this is your first offense, a minor one at that," the officer said as he looked over the clipboard in his hands, "Especially compared to some of the other guys in here. I don't think we'll be charging you, but I have to keep you until your guardian comes to get you."

"Aunt Cass isn't here yet?" Tadashi questioned.

"I have a Cassandra Phillips waiting outside," the officer replied as he looked over his clipboard again before raising an eyebrow at Tadashi, "Is that her?"

"Yeah, she's our maternal aunt," Tadashi explained, "So different last name."

"Fair enough," the officer stated with a nod before fishing out his keys, unlocks the cells to allow Riley and the Hamada brothers to exit, "Follow me."

Following the officer, the three of them walked out of the holding area and down the hall that led to the front desk and a waiting area. Sitting in the waiting area was three adults, one a man with a bushy brown mustache and five o'clock shadow, another a woman with long, dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and her eyes framed by red-rimmed glasses. The third was a woman roughly the same age, with shoulder length, light brown hair and dressed in blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Riley's eyes widened as she saw the first two adults, who jumped to their feet at the sight of her.

"Mom!" Riley exclaimed, running over to the two adults as they rushed to her, the three of them meeting in the center of the room, "Dad!"

"Riley!" Riley's father, Bill, shouted as he leaned down and placed his hands on the girl's shoulders the woman following suit by laying a gentle hand on the girl's arm, "Oh thank goodness."

"We were worried sick," Riley's mother, Jill, said, relief and worry mixed on her features, "Where have you been? Why are you here?"

"I'm sorry," Riley said quietly, "Please don't be mad."

"We're not mad," Jill assured her, "We just don't understand what happened."

"I-I ran away," Riley explained, tears starting to well up in her eyes as she looked down at the ground.

"What?" Bill asked, his brow furrowed confusion, "Why?"

Riley paused and glanced over to where Tadashi was standing with Hiro, the young man giving her a small smile and a subtle nod.

"I….I know you don't want me to, I know you need me to be happy, but I miss Minnesota," Riley explained as tears began to roll down her cheeks, "I miss my friends, my hockey team. I miss everything."

Riley turned her head to look at her parents, her cheeks going red as tears streamed from her eyes.

"I want to go home," she whimpered.

"Oh honey," Jill said sadly as she gently stroked Riley's hair.

"We miss Minnesota too," Bill stated with a sad smile.

"You….You do?" Riley asked, surprised.

"Of course," Bill stated, "I miss the forest where we used to walk."

"The backyard where you used to play," Jill added.

"The pond you first learned to skate on," Bill continued.

"We miss all of it, sweetie," Jill said, her eyes glistening, "I'm sorry that I made you think you had to be happy. It's perfectly okay to tell us these things, Riley. It's okay to be sad."

"Come here," Bill said as he pulled Riley into a hug with Jill as the girl began to cry openly.

Hiro stood to the side with Tadashi, watching the exchange with a mixture of sadness and happiness. His attention was brought towards the other woman as she walked over to the brothers.

"Are you two okay?" the woman asked.

"Yes, Aunt Cass," the Hamada brother said together.

"You're not hurt?" Aunt Cass questioned.

"No," the brothers said again.

As they spoke, Cass lashed out with both hands and grabbed the brothers by their earlobes before yanking hard.

"Then what were you two thinking?" she hissed, "Do you know how worried I was? And to involve that poor girl too?"

"They didn't try to involve me," Riley spoke up as she pulled away from her parents and wiped her eyes, "I involved myself."

"What do you mean?" Cass questioned in surprise, turning towards Riley as she eased her grip on the brothers' ears.

"I got lost and ended up at the bot fight," Riley explained as she stood up, her parents stepping to the side to let her talk, "I saw that those creeps were going to beat up Hiro and I decided to help. Your their aunt, right?"

"I am," Cass answered with a warm smile.

"I'm Riley," the girl answered, holding her hand out for Cass to shake.

"It's nice to meet you, Riley," Cass replied as she shook the girl's hand, "I'm happy to see you're alright and thank you for what you did for Hiro."

"I didn't do anything," Riley dismissed with a shrug, her face flushing as she took a step back.

"You saved me," Hiro argued, "Those guys were going to knock my teeth out before you showed up. Actually, I just realized I haven't thanked you yet."

"You don't need to thank me," Riley replied as she brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I actually do," Hiro replied with a grin, showing the gap between his front teeth, "Stop by the Lucky Cat tomorrow and I'll get you one of Aunt Cass' pastries."

"Best in the city," Tadashi chimed in, winking at Riley.

"O-Okay," Riley agreed with a small smile.

"Great, see you there!" Hiro replied as Cass began to lead him and his brother out of the police station while bidding the Anderson's goodnight, prompting him to wave, "See you later, Riley!"

"See you later, Hiro," Riley said with a small wave of her own.

"They seem like nice boys," Jill commented with a smile.

"Yeah, nice boys who got themselves arrested," Bill added dubiously.

Jill rolled her eyes and gave Bill a bemused smile before turning her attention towards Riley.

"Well, I think that's enough excitement for one night, don't you?" Jill questioned as she offered Riley her hand, "How about we go home?"

"Yeah," Riley agreed as she took the offered hand, smiling up at her mother, "Let's go home."

A/N: Yep, another new story from me. Like the others, the idea for this one just grabbed hold and wouldn't let go until I started writing it. There are more elements to this story that will show up as it goes along, so I hope you guys like it! As always, feedback and critiques are welcome, so please review! Later!


	2. Moving In

**Chapter 2: Moving In**

The bright Californian sun shone brightly above the city of San Fransokyo, it's rays bouncing off of skyscrapers and houses alike. In one particular house, the sunlight fell through a window and crawled across the floor before reaching where Riley slept in her sleeping bag and spreading across her face.

Grunting in annoyance, Riley stirred as her eyes fluttered open. Yawning, she sat up and stretched her arms above her head before running a hand through her messy hair. Pulling herself out of the sleeping back, Riley left the room and made her way downstairs, dressed in grey, cotton shorts and a baggy t-shirt. Padding down the stairs in bare feet, Riley smiled as she saw her mother sitting at the kitchen table.

"Good morning," Riley greeted.

"And good morning to you," Jill greeted in return, smiling at her daughter, "Feeling better today?"

"I am," Riley answered as she took a seat at the table, her smile falling from her face as she nervously drummed her fingers on the tabletop, "Mom, I-"

"Don't," Jill interrupted her daughter gently, reaching out and laying her hand on Riley's, stopping her drumming, "You don't have to apologize anymore."

"Even for using your credit card?" Riley questioned guiltily.

"Even for that, you little sneak," Jill replied as she booped Riley on the nose, causing the girl to giggle, "Now, hurry up, eat your breakfast and go get dressed."

"Why the rush?" Riley questioned, "It's Saturday."

"Well, apparently, the moving truck is finally showing up today," Jill explained with a grin, "Should be here in just a little while."

"Really!?" Riley asked excitedly, earning a nod from her mother, "Awesome!"

Riley quickly jumped to her feet and began making breakfast, almost knocking her chair over in the process, much to her mother's amusement.

A short while later, the Andersens were standing outside their new home, looking down the slanted street for any sign of the moving truck. Riley was now dressed in a rainbow colored sweater and blue jeans, her white sneakers on tiptoe as she looked for the truck.

"There it is!" Riley exclaimed as a box truck turned the corner and began rumbling its way up the hill towards the Andersens.

"Wait a minute," Bill said, narrowing his eyes and frowning in confusion, "That's not the moving company we hired."

As they watched, the truck pulled to the side of the road and came to a stop in front of the house across the street from the Andersens.

"Is somebody moving in?" Jill pondered aloud as movers exited the truck and moved around to the back.

"What are the odds?" Bill snorted in amusement as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Hey look," Riley spoke up, pointing down the street as taxi came into view. The taxi rolled up the hill and came to a stop behind the truck a moment before two people got out.

One was a middle-aged woman of obvious Italian descent, with long brown hair and olive skin, dressed in a white blouse and green capris. The other person was a girl roughly Riley's age, looking almost exactly like the older woman, though her skin was much darker and her hair was extremely curly, forming a fizzy, brown cloud around her head. She wore a red, zip- up hoodie along with a green and white striped t-shirt, blue jeans and red sneakers. As she got out of the taxi, she picked up an animal carrier and held it in one hand.

The woman looked up at the house as she circled around to the back of the taxi, before noticing the Andersens watching them.

"Oh, hello!" the woman greeted with a friendly wave.

"Hello!" Jill greeted in return.

"Moving in?" Bill questioned.

"Yeah," the woman replied as she and the girl pulled suitcases out of the back of the taxi before she walked around to the front and paid the driver.

"So are we," Bill replied as another box truck turned the corner and made its way up the street as the taxi drove off.

"Well, what do you know?" the woman said with a laugh as the truck pulled up in front of the Andersen's house, "Must be a new neighborhood."

"Or the people who lived here before us knew something we don't," Bill commented, earning a roll of the eyes from his wife as they stepped out of the way of the movers exiting the truck.

"Well, I guess we should introduce ourselves, since we're neighbors now," the woman said as she walked across the street and held her hand out, "Lucy Tucci."

"Bill Andersen," Bill replied as he shook her hand.

"Jill," his wife added, before taking her daughter by the shoulders and gently moving her in front of her, "And this is our daughter, Riley."

"It's nice to meet you," Riley greeted with a shy smile.

"You too," Lucy replied, before putting her arm around the other girl and pulling her forward, "This is my daughter, Gratuity."

"Hey," Gratuity replied, Riley noting an accent that Lucy herself didn't posses.

"Where are you all coming from?" Lucy questioned.

"Minnesota," Jill replied, "You?"

"Barbados," Lucy answered with a grin.

"Barbados!" Bill said in astonishment, "Boy, and I thought we had a big change."

"I know what you mean," Lucy laughed, before it fell slightly as she looked at Gratuity, the girl busy looking at the animal in the crate, "It can be tough."

Jill noticed the look, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face as she looked over at Riley.

"Riley," Jill spoke up, catching her daughter's attention, "Why don't you take Gratuity and show her the neighborhood? Maybe bring her over to that cafe you found out about last night?"

"Uh yeah, I guess I could," Riley replied, glancing over at Gratuity and noting the other girl's own apprehension, "Don't you guys need help though?"

"That's what the movers are for," Jill explained, ignoring the dubious look Bill was giving her, "We'll have your stuff brought up to your room so you can unpack it later."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Lucy agreed before turning towards her daughter, "Why don't you go with Riley?"

"O-Okay," Gratuity replied nervously before glancing down at the crate, "Can I bring Pig with me?"

"Okay," Lucy agreed with a sigh, "Just make sure you don't lose him."

Smiling, Gratuity reached down and opened up the crate, allowing a pudgy, calico cat with a short, squiggly tail to step out. The cat stretched his legs before happily rubbing against Garutity's legs.

"Alright," Gratuity said, turning her attention towards Riley, "Lead the way."

Nodding, Riley began walking down the street, waving to her parents as Gratuity and Pig followed behind.

"Be back before sundown!" Bill called after them, earning a thumbs up from Riley as they turned the corner and disappeared.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Bill questioned as he turned back to his wife, "After what happened last night?"

"Yes, I do," Jill replied pointedly, "She's not a baby, Bill, we don't have to keep an eye on her all the time. Plus this will give her a chance to make a friend, maybe two. She needs friends here, both of those girls do."

Bill sighed and ran a hand through his hair but offered no further argument. Lucy however, had a concerned look on your face.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry," Lucy spoke up, "But what happened last night?"

Bill glanced at Jill who shrugged prompting Bill to sigh as he turned his attention back towards Lucy.

"Well, I suppose we'll need something to do while the movers work," Bill commented, "Do you like coffee? I think I'm going to need some to tell this story."

Lucy nodded in reply before following the Andersens into their house. At the same time, Riley and Gratuity walked side by side down the street, an awkward silence between them, Pig padding along with them.

"So…." Riley spoke up, looking to break the silence, "Gratuity, was it?"

"Ugh, yes and no," the girl replied, her accent becoming more apparent to Riley now, "Just call me Tip okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Riley replied before chuckling as she got the joke before giving Tip a ponderous look.

"What?" Tip questioned suspiciously as she glanced at Riley.

"N-Nothing," Riley replied quickly, flushing with embarrassment, "I was just….your accent."

"What about my accent?" Tip asked pointedly.

"It's just…." Riley started, trying to quickly put her thoughts together, "Your mom doesn't seem to have one, but you do. I was just wondering why."

"Oh," Tip replied, suddenly embarrassed for being so defensive, "My mom's originally from the States. I was born in Barbados, so, you know, I picked up the accent."

"Okay," Riley stated, nodding thoughtfully, "That makes sense."

The two walked in silence for a few moments before Tip smirked.

"I was honestly going to ask you about yours," Tip stated.

"What?" Riley asked in confusion, "I don't have an accent."

"Uh, yeah, you do," Tip answered with a smirk, earning a small smile from Riley.

"I do not, I have a completely normal, American accent, doncha know?" Riley shot back, deliberately putting on an over-the-top Minnesotan accent, causing Tip to snort with laughter which, in turn, caused Riley to laugh as well.

"So, where are we going anyway?" Tip asked as they walked.

"This place called the Lucky Cat," Riley answered as she collected herself.

"It any good?" Tip questioned, placing her hands in the pocket of her hoodie.

"I don't know, I've never been," Riley explained with a shrug.

"Wait, then why are we going there?" Tip asked in confusion.

"This guy I met suggested it," Riley answered as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, before noticing the dubious expression Tip was giving her, "Look, I've only been here for a couple of days. All I know is you don't get pizza from the place around the corner."

"Why not?" Tip questioned, quirking an eyebrow at Riley.

"They put broccoli on their pizza," Riley said, leaning towards Tip and keeping her voice low as if she was revealing the darkest of truths.

"I like broccoli," Tip replied, smirking as Riley abruptly pulled away.

"I'm not sure you and I can be friends now," Riley stated as she gave Tip a surprised look, earning another laugh from the girl.

"So, a boy told you about this place, huh?" Tip questioned as he recollected herself.

"Yeah," Riley answered with a nod, "His aunt owns the place. They live in the apartment above it, I guess."

"Oh," Tip said, drawing out the word as a look of understanding passing over her face before it morphed into a mischievous smile, "So, we're actually going to some boy's house?"

"What?" Riley questioned in surprise, her cheeks turning red as she sputtered, "N-No. I mean yeah, but that's not, like, why we're going there."

"Mhm," Tip replied, giving Riley a knowing look, "Tell me about this boy."

"Really?" Riley questioned, before sighing in exasperation as she continued, "He's just, you know, a guy. He's like, two years older-"

"Oh, so he's an older boy," Tip interrupted, smirking at Riley.

"Stop," Riley groaned, causing Tip to laugh, "If you're like this all the time, there's no way I'm hanging out with you anymore, even if you are my neighbor."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Tip said through her giggles, "Tell me about him, really."

"His name is Hiro," Riley explained, "He….He seems pretty nice and he's super smart apparently."

"How smart is super smart?" Tip questioned.

"He's already graduated high school, I guess?" Riley replied, her expression showing she wasn't sure she believed what she was saying.

"You're joking," Tip said in surprise.

"Not according to him and his brother," Riley stated with a shrug.

"Wow, what does he do then?" Tip asked.

"Apparently, he takes part in bot fights," Riley answered, "I mean that's how I met him."

"Excuse me?" Tip questioned, "You're going to have to explain that one to me."

"It's kind of a long story," Riley replied uncertainly.

"I've got the time," Tip argued with a shrug, "And you are not leaving the story at that."

"Alright," Riley chuckled before going into the reason for and what had happened to her since coming to San Fransokyo with special focus on the events of the night before.

"Wow," Tip commented with wide eyes after Riley had finished, "That's some pretty heavy stuff."

"Yeah," Riley said with a sad sigh, "I still can't believe I almost ran away."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure you're upset about that," Tip commented, "I was more talking about the fact you took a hockey stick to some guy's knees."

"It's no big deal," Riley said with a dismissive shrug, "I've seen worse on the ice, and I'm not even a teenager yet."

"You play a lot of hockey?" Tip questioned.

"Yeah," Riley answered before sighing, "I mean, I did."

"You don't like it anymore?" Tip asked.

"It's not that," Riley answered, "I still love hockey. I mean they still have a league here but no one around here seems to care. Not like they did back in Minnesota."

"Oh, I don't want to hear it," Tip grumbled as she frowned at Riley.

"Huh?" Riley questioned in confusion.

"Do you know what the most popular sport on Barbados is?" Tip questioned, earning a shake of the head from Riley, "It's cricket."

"What's cricket?" Riley asked curiously.

"Exactly!" Tip exclaimed pointing her finger at Riley, causing the other girl to jump slightly in surprise, "Practically no one here has even heard of my favorite sport, let alone play it. It's one of the few things I dislike about moving to the States. So, I don't want to hear you whining about no one liking hockey. You got off easy."

"Okay, okay," Riley replied, chuckling as she held her hands up in a placating gesture, "So, you didn't want to move either?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Tip said, "I mean, yeah it sucks to leave all my friends behind but my mom was always telling me stories about the States when I was younger, and it's especially exciting to come live here in San Fransokyo. I mean, don't get me wrong, Barbados isn't some backwater, third world country or anything, but it doesn't have all the giant skyscrapers or new tech or the robots. The robots are especially cool."

"Yeah," Riley said, shrugging her shoulders, "I guess."

"What?" Tip questioned, "What don't you like here?"

"I mean, as much as I miss Minnesota, I do think it's cool moving to the big, hi-tech city after living in the suburbs my whole life, but…."

"But?" Tip pressed.

"I don't really like robots," Riley explained with another shrug.

"What's not to like?" Tip questioned, surprised by Riley's response.

"Maybe it's because my dad works for a bot company and I've grown up around them, but they always seemed….I don't know, soulless to me."

"I suppose that's true," Tip relented with a shrug of her own, "To each their own."

Riley nodded as the two fell into silence for a short while.

"So, how much further to this place?" Tip questioned as the two came to a crossroads and started to turn the corner.

"Shouldn't be much farther," Riley answered as she glanced at the building they were passing, "It's pretty close-oh hey, this is it."

Pausing, Tip and Riley looked up at the building. It was a three story house painted a light yellow, the bottom floor serving as the cafe, with large windows looking in on the business, the name "Lucky Cat Cafe" written across them. The two girls could see a few tables scattered around inside with a handful of patrons seated at them, enjoying pastries and drinks. Two tables were also set up outside the cafe along with a chalkboard stand that displayed the day's specials.

"Should we go in?" Tip questioned.

"I guess," Riley answered with a shrug before walking up to the door, Tip and Pig following behind her.

A bell rang as the door opened, grabbing the attention of Cass from her place behind the counter displaying pastries.

"Good morn-" Cass began to say, pausing as she recognized Riley, "Oh hey, it's you!"

"Uh, yeah," Riley said with a hint of shyness, "Good morning, Ms. Phillips."

"Oh, don't start with that," Cass said with a dismissive roll of her eyes, "You can just call me Cass, Riley."

"Okay," Riley replied, nodding and smiling.

"Happy you found the place alright," Cass said as she stepped around the counter before noticing Tip for the first time, "And you brought a friend! What's your name, sweetie?"

"Uh, Tip, ma'am," she answered, before glancing at Pig standing by her feet, "Is this place cat friendly?"

"Well, we couldn't right call ourselves the Lucky Cat if we weren't," Cass chuckled before turning to address someone else, "Isn't that right, Mochi?"

Following Cass' gaze, Riley and Tip saw a fat, calico cat lounging on the stairs, whiter than big was despite their similar coloration. The cat opened its eyes and blinked at Cass before meowing lazily, causing the others to chuckle. Noticing the other cat, Pig wandered over, sniffing at Mochi as the calico lazily swatted at his face to get him to stop.

"So, have a seat, I'll get you two something to eat," Cass said as she moved back towards the pastry counter.

"Uh, that's alright," Tip said with a hint of embarrassment as she followed Riley over to an empty table, "I don't have any money."

"Oh don't worry, it's on the house," Cass assured her, reaching down to grab a few choice pastries, "I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"I just moved in with my mom today," Tip explained.

"She lives across the street from me," Riley added.

"Well, isn't that something?" Cass questioned with a laugh as she walked over to their table with a tray of pastries, "Seems like our little neighborhood is going through a growth spurt. Where are you from originally?"

"Barbados," Tip answered as Riley looked over the selection of pastries.

"Barbados!?" Cass gasped in surprise as Riley picked up a chocolate covered donut, "Oh, I've heard it's beautiful there."

"It is," Tip concurred as Riley took a bite of the donut, "Though it's pretty beautiful here too."

"Oh my God, this is really good!" Riley exclaimed through mouthfuls of food.

"Thank you, Riley," Cass said with a chuckle, "I make them myself. Have as many as you like."

"Really?" Riley asked in surprise glancing down at the platter before her before looking back at Cass while Tip picked up a pastry of her own and started eating it, "I couldn't-"

"You can," Cass replied, "I owe you for saving my nephew from those thugs."

Riley blushed at Cass' words, causing Tip to chuckle in amusement.

"Speaking of which, where is that boy?" Cass pondered aloud before walking over to the staircase, checking to make sure the other patrons of the cafe didn't need her help as she went.

"Hiro!" she called up the stairs, "Tadashi!"

A few seconds later, Tadashi came halfway down the stairs, Riley noting the black baseball cap he now wore.

"Hiro's still asleep, Aunt Cass," Tadashi explained, "What's up?"

"Well, that new friend of his is here," Cass explained, motioning towards where Riley and Tip sat. Looking in the indicated direction, Tadashi smiled as he caught sight of Riley.

"Hey Riley," Tadashi greeted as he nodded at the girl, "Happy you could find the place. Enjoying the food?"

"It's delicious!" Riley called back as she took another bite.

"What did I tell you?" Tadashi questioned with a chuckle, "Best in the city."

"Can you go up there and tell Hiro to get his lazy butt out of bed?" Cass requested.

"Will do," Tadashi replied with a grin and a nod before turning around and making his way back up the stairs. A few moments later, Riley and Tip heard a muffled bang followed by a cry of alarm, drawing their and the rest of the cafe's patrons' attentions upwards. The two regarded each other for a moment before the sound of someone quickly descending the stairs quickly brought their attentions back in that direction.

As the girls watched, Hiro half ran, half stumbled down the stairs, clearly in a sleepy daze. As he came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, the girls could see he was dressed in nothing but a pair of blue boxers and the red t-shirt he had been wearing the night before.

"W-What's going on?" Hiro asked deliriously as he quickly looked around the cafe, the patrons looking at him with smiles and shakes of their heads, "What's-"

He trailed off as he caught sight of the table the girls were sitting at, Riley averting her eyes as she blushed while Tip quirked an eyebrow at Hiro and smirked in amusement. Cass stood to the side, covering her mouth in an attempt to contain her giggles while Tadashi stood at the middle of the staircase, grinning brightly at his brother.

"Oh…." Hiro muttered, waking up as realization dawned on him, his entire face turning red, "Hi, Riley."

"Hi, Hiro," Riley replied, still not looking at him.

"I'm just gonna…." Hiro began to say, pointing backwards with his thumb as he took a step towards the stairs.

"Yeah," Riley agreed as Tadashi began to snicker.

Without another word, Hiro spun on his heel and rushed up the stairs, pausing only to punch his brother in the arm, which only caused Tadashi to laugh harder. As Hiro disappeared, Tadashi came down the stairs, recollecting himself as he walked over to Riley and Tip's table.

"Sorry about that," Tadashi apologized as he pulled a chair up for himself between the two girls and sat in it, "I couldn't help myself."

"It's okay," Riley replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't think we've met yet," Tadashi said as he turned towards Tip and offered his hand, "I'm Tadashi, Hiro's brother."

"Tip," the girl replied, "I just moved in across the street from Riley and she was showing me around."

"Well, that's certainly nice of her," Tadashi commented, flashing a smile at Riley, who gave him a small smile back, "Maybe I'll show you guys around the city today. At least, after my brother makes himself presentable again."

Tip chuckled at the commented, earning a confused look from Riley.

"How come you were so unphased by that?" Riley questioned.

"I'm from a tropical island, remember?" Tip asked in return, "I've seen more than that walking to school."

Riley didn't say anything in reply as Hiro came down the stairs, now dressed in a black t-shirt, grey cargo pants, black sneakers and with his blue hoodie on. He blushed as he made eye contact with Riley, running a hand through his messy black hair as the girl looked away again.

"Sorry about that. Somebody," Hiro paused to shoot an angry glare at Tadashi, who merely grinned back at him, "told me there was a fire."

Tip snorted in amusement, causing Hiro to blink in surprise as he noticed her.

"Uh, hi," Hiro greeted awkwardly, "I don't think-"

"I'm Tip. I just moved in across the street from Riley. She's showing me around," Tip said quickly before looking at Riley, "Man, I really hate telling people the same stuff over and over again."

"It's what happens when you meet a whole new group of people, I guess" Riley replied with a shrug as she picked up another donut and began eating it.

"You get some of Aunt Cass' food?" Hiro questioned as he walked around the table and sat across from Tadashi.

"It's her reward for saving you last night," Tip explained.

"Oh, she told you about that?" Hiro questioned with an embarrassed smile as he ran his hand through his hair again, "She was pretty awesome though."

"No, I wasn't," Riley argued with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure that guy you hit with the hockey stick was limping afterwards," Hiro pointed out, "Trust me, you were awesome."

Riley blushed and smiled at the praise, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, I just hope you learned a lesson from all of this," Tadashi said seriously as he looked at his brother.

"Yeah, make sure I carry a hockey stick with me next time I go," Hiro replied with a snort, causing Tadashi to sigh in frustration.

"So, it's true what Riley said then?" Tip questioned, "That you're already out of high school and you spend your time bot fighting?

"More or less," Hiro answered with a shrug.

"What he should be doing is using that big brain of his to do something worthwhile," Tadashi stated.

"Like what?" Hiro questioned, crossing his arms and giving his brother a contemptuous smirk, "Go to college like you, where I can sit around and have people tell me things I already know?"

Tadashi said nothing as he leaned back in his chair, took off his hat, ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Looking at Hiro, Tadashi gave his brother a thoughtful look before smiling and placing his hat back on his head.

"Why don't you come check it out?" Tadashi suggested, "See what you're missing."

"You want me to go to your nerd school?" Hiro questioned, quirking his eyebrow at Tadashi.

"Yeah," Tadashi stated, a confident grin on his face, "You've never seen my lab before. You should check it out."

"I don't want to check out your nerd lab," Hiro said with a shake of his head as he looked away.

"What do you do there?" Riley questioned, looking over at Tadashi and ignoring Hiro as he blinked at her in surprise.

"I share the lab with a bunch of my friends," Tadashi replied as he smirked at Riley, earning a knowing smile from the girl, "We work on all sorts of projects over there. It's some pretty cutting edge stuff."

"You go to the big college here in the city?" Tip asked, sharing a look with Riley.

"Yeah," Tadashi answered with a nod.

"That's a pretty prestigious school," Tip commented offhandedly, "I've heard of it, even in Barbados."

"I think we should check it out," Riley said as she turned her attention to Tip.

"Yeah," Tip agreed with a nod as she glanced at Riley, "He did say he would show us around."

"That I did," Tadashi concurred, "Alright, I'll go borrow the keys to Aunt Cass' truck and we can head out."

"Do you want to come, Hiro?" Riley questioned as she looked at the boy who was glancing around the table in confusion.

"Uh….yeah sure," Hiro replied uncertainly.

"Awesome," Tadashi said as he stood up, prompting the others to do the same, "I'll meet you guys outside then."

"What about Pig?" Tip questioned as Hiro got up and headed for the door.

Glancing at the stairs, Riley noticed that Pig had lay down next to Mochi and was happily snoozing away.

"I think he'll be okay," Riley replied with a chuckle.

"That's your cat?" Tadashi questioned as he glanced at Pig, earning a nod from Tip, "I'll ask Aunt Cass to keep an eye on him."

"Thanks," Tip said with a smile before she headed for the exit as well.

"Hey," Tadashi said to Riley as she got up to leave, causing the girl to pause as he grinned at her, "Nice job."

"Nice job with what?" Riley questioned with a smirk, earning a laugh from Tadashi as she left to join her new friends.

A/N: Thank you so much for your feedback guys. I wasn't expecting the first chapter to be as popular as it was, and your encouragement really pushed me to get the second chapter out as soon as possible. And surprise, as I hinted last chapter, there is more than one crossover in this story. I mean, I wasn't trying to hide or anything, the site just doesn't let me put more than two properties in the crossover section. Anyway, I hope you guys liked the inclusion and what I plan to do with all the character. As always, feedback and critiques are welcome, so please review! Later!


	3. Higher Learning

**Chapter 3: Higher Learning**

Cass' old, red pickup truck rumbled through the streets of San Fransokyo, rolling down the steep hills towards the bay, the sight of the Torii Gate Bridge looming before them. The four of them sat close together in the truck's single long seat, Tadashi behind the wheel, Hiro by his side with Riley to the boy's right and Tip pushed up against the passenger door. Riley and Tip smiled as they looked over the downtown area as they passed through it, the tall buildings and flashing advertisements catching their attention as they went.

"Pretty nice, isn't it?" Tadashi questioned, smirking as he glanced at the girls.

"Yeah," Tip agreed with a nod, staring up at a multi-story tall screen on the side of a skyscraper, advertising the newest Krei Tech tablet computer, "We don't have stuff like this back in Barbados."

"What are those things?" Riley questioned, pointing up.

Following the girl's gaze, Tadashi smiled as he saw the colorful balloons that floated above the skyline of the city, tethered to the various buildings.

"Those are generators," Tadashi explained, "They're basically wind turbines tied to hot air balloons. They help power the city. Very green."

Riley's attention was pulled away from the generators as an expansive college campus came into view. Immaculate, green lawns spread across the campus between the various academic buildings. Passing through a gate that lead onto campus, Riley saw a sign that proclaimed it to be the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology.

As Tadashi drove them across campus, Riley could see the students that called the college home making their way around the college, some lounging in the shade of the cherry trees scattered about while others walked through the Japanese-style gardens between the academic buildings. Eventually, Tadashi pulled the truck to a stop in front of a large, modern building with a rounded design and glass windows that made up the front of the building. A sign out front declared it to be the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab.

"Wow," Riley said in amazement as they climbed out of the truck, "This is amazing!"

"It's alright, I guess," Hiro stated with a shrug as he walked up next to Riley.

"Are you kidding?" Riley questioned, raising an eyebrow at Hiro, "We don't have anything like this college back in Minnesota."

"See, told you this city is pretty great when you give it a chance," Tadashi chuckled as he walked by, heading towards the front door of the lab building, "And you haven't even seen the inside yet."

Following Tadashi, the group entered the building before walking through the halls and taking an elevator to the second floor. Walking down another hall, the group came to a thick door that was marked as the entrance to the lab.

"You guys ready to check this out?" Tadashi questioned, smirking back at the group.

"Yeah sure," Hiro replied with a roll of his eyes, "Let's see what your little nerd lab is all about."

Shaking his head, Tadashi pulled open the door and allowed the three to enter. As Hiro caught sight of what was inside, his expression changed from the smug smile he had been wearing to a look of amazement that matched the ones Riley and Tip wore.

The lab was stark and clean, looking like it was made from a reinforced material designed more to withstand damage than look pretty, lit by the fluorescent lights hanging overhead. Glancing around, Hiro, Riley and Tip could see at least a dozen college students scattered around the large lab, spending their Saturday running experiments. Watching the students, the three children quickly saw that the lab's name was something of a misnomer, because, in addition to robotics, the students were running experiments in other sciences like physics and chemistry.

Riley took a few hesitant steps forward, looking around with wide eyes at the scientific wonders that surrounded her.

"Heads up!" a voice shouted, snapping Riley out of her stupor as a yellow and black blur came shooting towards her. Gasping in surprise, Riley jumped back as the blur shot by, stumbling back into Hiro and knocking both of them off balance. Hiro quickly caught himself before reaching out and grabbing Riley's arms to stable her. The surprising contact caused both to blush, Riley mumbling a quick apology while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as Hiro set her back on her feet and averted his eyes, running a hand through his messy hair as he looked at the floor. Tip smirked as she observed the interaction but said nothing.

Looking back towards the direction she had seen the blur go in, she saw a person, a college-aged woman by the looks of her, skid to a stop on a sleek, yellow bike a few feet away. The young woman was short, only a few inches taller than Riley herself, and athletically built, her toned muscles showing under her dark grey, capri-length leggings and the white t-shirt she wore. Over her shirt she wore a black jacket that only came down to her elbows while she wore a pair of black, red-lined running shorts over her legging. Her face was concealed by a black motorcycle helmet with a black, mirrored visor and she wore black, fingerless gloves over her hands.

The young woman slid off the bike before effortlessly lifting it up and hanging it on a bike rack that sat at eye level with her. As Riley watched, the woman grabbed the front wheel, a solid, yellow, metal disk as opposed to the rubber, spoked wheels Riley was used to, and pulled it off with surprising ease. Turning, the woman began walking away from the bike, examining the wheel for a moment before casually tossing it over her shoulder, her black sneakers squeaking across the floor. Riley let out a small gasp of shock as the wheel was suddenly grabbed by an unseen force and snapped back into place instead of clattering to the floor.

Walking over to the bike, Riley looked it over with fascination. Looking at the wheels, Riley was shocked to find they weren't attached to the bike at all. Instead they hovered a few inches from where the bike's spokes would have been and instead of gears and chains it had a smooth, metal surface. Reaching out, Riley passed her hand between the wheel and the spoke, the intrusion having no effect on either except for the low hum it created.

"Hey," a voice said from behind Riley, causing the girl to jump in surprise and spin around to find the woman standing behind her, "What are you doing?"

"N-Nothing," Riley stuttered out, her cheeks blushing with embarrassment, "I-I was just looking."

There was a pause, the slight movement of the woman's helmet indicating she glanced at her bike before looking back at Riley. After a moment, Riley heard the woman give a slight snort of amusement as she removed her helmet, revealing she was of Asian descent, the front of her short, black hair streaked with violet while lavender eyeshadow hung above her brown eyes. She absentmindedly blew a bubble with the pink bubblegum she was chewing, pulling it back into her mouth before it could pop.

"Pretty cool, huh?" the woman asked with a smirk, nodding to the bike.

"Yeah, I-" Riley began to say, pausing to collect her thoughts before continuing, "How does it float like that?"

"Electromagnetic suspension," the woman explained as she stepped up next to the bike.

"What's that?" Riley asked in confusion.

The woman looked like she was about to say something, but shook her head as she thought better of it.

"You know what a bullet train is, right?" the woman questioned, earning a nod from Riley, "Same thing, bike uses magnets to make the wheels float."

"But why?" Riley pressed.

"Same reason as the train," the woman answered as she placed her helmet down on a nearby desk, "No gears means no friction, no friction means less resistance, less resistance means the bike goes faster."

"That's so cool," Riley whispered in awe.

"It is," the woman agreed, walking up to the bike and pulling the front wheel off again, "Still, it's not fast enough. Not yet, at least."

The woman turned and tossed the wheel like a frisbee, the disk flying through the air before clanging into a bin full of a half-dozen similar wheels on the other side of the lab. As the woman's arm flexed, Riley caught sight of the edge of a tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve on her right shoulder.

"Still, it would be cool to have a pair of skates like that," Riley stated with wonder.

"You skate?" the woman questioned, "Sports?"

"Ice hockey," Riley answered.

"Nice," the woman replied, nodding her head with an impressed look, "I'm more of a roller derby girl myself."

"Wait, roller derby?" Riley questioned in shock, "As in the sport where girls skate in circles and beat each other up?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right," the woman answered with a chuckle.

"Making friends, Riley?" Tadashi questioned, grinning.

"This one yours, Magic?" the woman questioned as she looked over at Tadashi, raising an eyebrow at him, "I always thought you had a brother."

"I do, this is Hiro's friend, Riley," Tadashi explained, "She helped convince my brother to come to check this place out."

"Did she now?" the woman questioned, raising an eyebrow at Riley, causing the girl to blush.

"Riley, this is Yuri Park," Tadashi said, turning towards Riley as he motioned towards the woman, "Though around here, most of us just call her Go Go."

"Nice to meet you," Riley said, offering Go Go her hand.

"Same," Go Go replied, shaking Riley's hand firmly before turning to Tadashi as she began walking away, "Keep this one around. I like her."

Tadashi chuckled before turning back to Riley, finding the girl watching Go Go as she walked away.

"You okay, Riley?" Tadashi questioned with an amused smile.

"Yeah, it's just…." Riley answered, leaning in so she could speak with Tadashi in a low voice, "I think she might be the coolest person I've ever met."

Tadashi could only laugh at that.

While the others were occupied, Tip wandered around the lab, observing what the other students were working on with fascination. As she went, a low humming caught Tip's attention and she wandered over to a corner of the lab that one of the students had apparently claimed for himself.

Looking over, Tip saw a towering, bulky, African-American man with a goatee. His hair was a batch of short dreads that were held back from his face by a yellow headband he wore at his hairline while his brown eyes were squinted behind a pair of safety glasses. He wore a green sweater and blue jeans over his muscular physique and his hands were covered by white, rubber gloves as he delicately adjusted something on the device that he stood next to, one of a pair of metal and glass posts that sat a short distance away from one another, thick cables running from their bases.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, do not move" the man said urgently with an oddly high-pitched voice, holding up his hand to stop Tip as she approached before pointing down, "Behind the line, please."

Looking at her feet, Tip saw a yellow and black line between her and the man's lab.

"Sorry," Tip apologized as she backed up.

"Don't worry about it," the man replied, "The line is there for your safety."

"What are you working on?" Tip questioned with curiosity.

"Laser induced plasma," the man explained, amused by Tip's interest, patting the posts as he talks, "These provide magnetic confinement for ultra precision."

"Can I get that in English?" Tip requested sarcastically.

"Maybe it's better if I show you," the man replied with a snort before flicking a switch. The posts hummed with power before a thin, greenish-blue field of energy sprung to life between them, the edges blurring and shifting like flowing electricity.

"Here," the man said, picking up an apple sitting on a table nearby and holding it up for Tip to see, "Catch."

The man tossed the apple at Tip, who quickly brought up her hands to catch it. Before the apple could reach her though, it flew through the field of energy which hummed slightly as the fruit passed through. A second after it passed through, the apple suddenly broke apart into paper thin that retained the outline of the apple. Tip watched in wonder as the apple slices fluttered around her, reaching out to grab one before it fluttered to the floor.

"Whoa," Tip whispered in awe, looking the apple slice over.

"Nicely done, Wasabi," Tadashi said, clapping his hands, prompting the man to take a bow.

"Wasabi?" Tip questioned with amusement.

"I spilt wasabi on my shirt one time and they never let me forget it," the man sighed with a shake of his head as he turned to his red toolbox.

"Tip, meet Darron Waylans, though we mostly call him Wasabi," Tadashi explained, "Wasabi, this is my brother's friend, Tip."

"A pleasure," Wasabi greeted with a nod towards Tip.

Walking over to Wasabi, Tip looked at his toolbox. The girl's eyes widened in surprise as she saw the tools on top of the box were immaculately organized, even noting outlines of the tools drawn on the surface to mark where they went.

"Wow," Tip observed wryly, "How do you find anything in this mess?"

"I have a system," Wasabi replied, "A place for everything, and everything in its place."

Suddenly, Go Go darted up, grabbing a wrench from the toolbox while bumping it with her hip, jostling the rest of the tools out of position.

"Need this," she declared with a smirk before darting away as Wasabi looked down at his disheveled toolbox in shock. After a moment, Wasabi leapt to his feet and began chasing after Go Go.

"You can't just do that!" Wasabi shouted as he ran, ignoring Tip as she giggled at the display, "This is anarchy! Society has rules, you know!"

In a different part of the lab, Hiro wandered about, watching as the different students worked on their experiments.

"Excuse me!" Hiro heard a loud voice declare, "Coming through!"

Turning around, Hiro's eyes widened in surprise as he found a female student rolling a giant, black, metal ball across the floor towards him. Stepping aside, Hiro allowed the young woman to pass before following her as she made her way over towards a table where an expansive chemistry set had been placed.

As he followed her, Hiro was able to get a better look at the student. She was impressively tall, likely taller than Tadashi was, aided by the yellow platform heels she wore, and possessed a willowy build and lightly tanned skin. She had long, honey-blonde hair that hung to the small of her back, which she kept out of her eyes thanks to the yellow headband she wore at her hairline. Her entire outfit, consisting of a long coat, a short dress and tights, was various shades of yellow and cut in a distinctly 70s style. Her bright green eyes were framed by thick, magenta rimmed glasses and white earbuds trailed from her ears from which Hiro could hear the light sound of Latin music bleeding out.

As she reached the lab, the woman quickly ran around the front of the ball and pushed her weight against it to stop the heavy object's momentum before stepping on a switch in the floor, causing a pair of prongs to rise up and hold the ball in place. Leaning against the ball, she huffed with effort, before spotting Hiro watching her. She studied him for a moment before her green eyes lit up with excitement.

"Oh my gosh, you must be Hiro!" she declared at a too loud volume, trying to talk over music only she could hear, as she walked around the ball towards him,"Tadashi's told me so much about you!"

She quickly hugged him while giving the boy a quick kiss on each cheek, catching him completely off guard.

"Where's your-" the woman began to say before gasping excitedly as she saw Tadashi walking over. She quickly moved over to Tadashi, pulling him into a hug and giving him a lingering kiss on the cheek.

"It's so good-" the woman started before Tadashi winced at the volume of her voice and motioned for her to take the buds out of her ears. The woman's eyes widened as she realized what Tadashi meant before sheepishly grinning at him as she took the earbuds out.

"Sorry," she apologized with embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it," Tadashi replied with a chuckle, "I see you found my brother."

"I did!" the woman declared excitedly as she turned to look at Hiro.

"Why don't you show him what you're working on?" Tadashi suggested.

"That's a great idea! You two have perfect timing!" the woman decided before turning to Hiro, grabbing his shoulders and dragging him over to the chemistry lab.

"You're going to love this," she said as she quickly walked Hiro down the table, adjusting beakers and burners with an almost manic energy as she went, "A dash of perchloric acid. A smidge of cobalt. A hint of hydrogen peroxide. All of it super heated to five hundred kelvin."

When they came to the end of the table, a vial of pink liquid being fed by a dropper was waiting for them. Quickly turning off the dropper, the woman picked up the vial and led Hiro back over to the metal ball as she attached a spray head to the top of the vial.

"That's a whole lot of tungsten carbide" Hiro observed.

"Four hundred pounds of it!" the woman declared excitedly, "Now, watch this."

Walking around the ball, the woman quickly circled the metal ball, spraying it all over with the vial's contents. As the liquid settled, the woman reached out and pulled a lever, causing a jolt of electricity to run through the ball. The reaction was immediate, turning the hunk of metal from black to neon pink in color.

"Ta da!" the woman declared excitedly, "Isn't it great!?"

"Yeah," Hiro replied uncertainly, "It's so….pink."

"Here's the best part," the woman said in a sing-song voice as she reached out and poked the ball, causing it to explode into a cloud of pink dust.

"Whoa!" Hiro said, blinking his eyes in surprise.

"I know, right!?" the woman giggled as she took her glasses off and began cleaning the pink dust off them, "Instant metal embrittlement!"

"That's pretty impressive, Honey," Tadashi congratulated the woman as he stepped up next to her.

"Thank you, Magic," the woman replied playfully.

"Honey and Magic?" Hiro questioned with amusement, "Those are some cutesy nicknames you two got there."

"Most people around here call us that," Tadashi explained, though Hiro noticed Honey blush and glance away from the boy, "This is my….my friend, Pamela Rodriguez."

"It's nice to meet you," Hiro greeted with a smile and a nod.

"And you, Hiro," Honey replied, Hiro noting the fact she went out of her way to pronounce his name the traditional way.

"But seriously, Honey and Magic?" Hiro pressed, "Why Magic?"

"Short for Magic Man," Tadashi explained with a bemused smile, "I helped a friend out of a jam and well, my name is Ta-Da-shi."

"That's still a weird nickname, bro," Hiro commented with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

"I just met a girl who goes by Go Go," Riley said as she walked up to join them.

"And the guy over there is called Wasabi," Tip added as she joined them as well.

"Who comes up with these names?" Hiro pondered aloud.

"This guy, right here!" a voice suddenly said from behind the three children, causing them to jump in surprise and spin around. Behind them, someone, a young man by the sound of his voice, stood dressed in a costume that resembled a giant lizard, though it seemed like the costume had seen better days.

"Hey, don't worry," the voice said placatingly as the costume's arms went limp and its large mouth was opened from the inside, revealing the young man within, "Do not be alarmed, it's just a suit. This is not my real face and body."

The young man was roughly the same age as the other students, with a pale complexion and unkept, light brown hair that hung to his shoulders and was contained under a turquoise ski cap with a snarling monster face drawn on the front. He grinned at the three, his blue eyes sparkling as he stuck his hand out of the suit towards the three children, revealing the pink t-shirt he wore over a white, long sleeve shirt.

"Name's Fred," he greeted with a friendly tone.

"Hiro," the boy replied, shaking Fred's hand.

"Tip," the girl added, shaking the offered hand as well.

"Riley," the third child finished as she shook Fred's hand.

"Whoa, those are some accents you two got," Fred said to the girls as he pulled his arm back and redonned the costume fully, "I take it you two aren't from around here?"

"We just moved here," Tip explained, "I'm originally from Barbados."

"And I'm from Minnesota," Riley added.

"Minnesota, eh?" Fred teased, putting on a thicker version of Riley's accent, "That's close to Fargo, doncha know?"

"Fargo's in North Dakota," Riley pointed out as she narrowed her eyes at Fred.

"Close enough for me, Fargo," Fred teased, causing Riley to roll her eyes and Tip to snort.

"I'll have to come up with one for you too," Fred continued, eyeing Tip.

"Don't think you'll have to, Fredzilla," Tip answered with a shrug, causing Riley to giggle, "Tip's already a nickname."

"Oh yeah?" Fred questioned, "What's it short for?"

"Gratuity," Tip answered with a smirk.

There was a pause as Fred seemed to digest Tip's words before he abruptly laughed as he got the joke.

"Yeah, I can't beat that," Fred conceded as he walked over to a corner of the lab that was occupied by an old reclining chair, a few, colorful posters depicting comic and anime characters hung on the wall behind it while it was flanked on both sides by piles of trash and comic books.

"So, what's your major?" Hiro questioned.

"No, no, no, I'm not a student," Fred explained, "Though I am a major science enthusiast."

"What's with the costume?" Tip questioned.

"Well, by day, I work as the school mascot, but by night," Fred explained, picking up a sign with the school's name on it from where it lay against the recliner before spinning it around expertly, even throwing in a backflip as he tossed the sign into the air before catching it, "I am also the school mascot."

"You're the school mascot even though you don't go here?" Riley questioned.

"Gives me an excuse to hang around," Fred explained as he set the sign down again.

"What are you supposed to be anyway?" Tip questioned as she looked the suit over.

"Aw, come on, you've never heard of the SFIT Kaijus?" Fred questioned, "I'm the giant, city-destroying lizard mascot, Kyle."

Getting nothing but blank stares from the children, Fred sighed dramatically as he all but fell into the recliner.

"This is why I'm trying to get the school to change the mascot to a giant moth," Fred stated, "That would be much more San Fransokyian kaiju. I've also tried to get Honey to make me a formula to turn me into a real kaiju at will, but she says that's 'not science.'"

"It-It's really not," Honey argued weakly as she walked over to Fred's chair along with Go Go and Wasabi.

"Yeah, sure," Fred laughed, "And I'm sure that shrink ray I'm trying to get Wasabi to build isn't 'real science' either."

"Nope," Wasabi answered, crossing his arms as he gave Fred a bemused smile.

"Hey man, it's provable fact the North Koreans already cracked that," Fred said as he pointed an accusing finger at Wasabi, "Not my fault you don't have the commitment to figure it out."

"Oh, not this again," Go Go groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, just because you refuse to believe the truth about what happened to the moon doesn't make me wrong," Fred argued.

The three children exchanged confused glances before a noise caught their attention. The three spotted Tadashi a short distance away, beckoning them towards a room cut off from the rest of the lab.

Following Tadashi inside, the three found themselves in a small robotics lab, tools and parts scattered about. One wall was occupied by a computer terminal while the wall across the entrance had a large, circular window that looked out onto the SFIT campus.

"Is this your part of the lab, Tadashi?" Riley inquired as she looked around.

"Yep," Tadashi answered with a smirk.

"What are you making in here?" Tip asked.

"Let me show you," Tadashi replied as he picked up a roll of duct tape from a nearby table.

"Uh, hate to break it to you bro, but somebody already invented duct tape," Hiro joked, turning to look at Riley with a smirk. As he did, Tadashi quickly reached down, grabbed Hiro's arm, rolled up his sleeve and slapped a length of duct tape onto it. Before Hiro could do anything, Tadashi reached down and yanked the tape off, leaving a painful, red abrasion on his arm.

"Ouch!" Hiro squealed, causing Tip to laugh and Riley to cover her mouth to hide her amusement, as the boy glared at his brother, "Dude, ow! What was that for!?"

Tadashi held up a finger to get Hiro to wait before pointing over to a red box that sat on the floor near the window. As they watched, the box beeped before opening. As it opened, a fan kicked in, creating a noise that sounded like a balloon being inflated. As the three children watched, a white balloon expanded from the box, taking on a humanoid figure as it went.

"This is what I've been working on," Tadashi stated as the process finished.

A robot the likes of which none of them had ever seen stood before the group. It was tall, standing a few inches taller than Tadashi and towering over the children. The robot was pure white in color with a rounded look, with long arms that ended in four-fingered hands and a pudgy torso. It's legs were very short in comparison, short nubs on the bottom of its torso with no knees to speak of. I minimalist face was projected on its small head, consisting of two black dots for eyes and a thin line connecting them that gave the impression of a mouth. A small, almost badge-like slot sat around the area of where a heart would be on a person.

As the children watched, the robot looked down at its box before carefully stepping out of it. It began walking towards them, the material that it was composed of squeaking as it moved, before it bumped into a rolling stool that had been left in the middle of the room. With slow, deliberate movements, the robot reached down and picked the stool up. Looking to both its sides with careful calculation, the robot set the stool down so that it was out of the way before continuing towards the group.

"Hello, I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion," the robot greeted with a mellow, oddly warm voice as it gave them a strange, circular wave, Tadashi stepping up behind, mouthing along with what was clearly a prewritten speech, "I was alerted to the need for medical attention when you said 'ow'."

"A robotic….nurse?" Tip observed with a wry grin.

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?" Baymax questioned as his chest glowed before the image of a pain chart, depicting cartoon faces with various expressions of distress and ranked from one to ten, appeared.

"Physical?" Hiro questioned as he shot his brother a glare, "Or emotional?"

Tadashi pouted comically at Hiro, earning a giggle from Tip.

"I will scan you now," Baymax stated, before pausing as he glanced Hiro up and down, a small whirring noise coming from somewhere inside the robot followed by a light beep as the image of a body appeared on his chest, displaying his findings, "Scan complete. I am detecting a slight epidermal abrasion on your right forearm. I suggest an anti-bacterial spray."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's in the spray specifically?" Hiro quizzed with a conniving look on his face as Baymax stepped towards him.

"The primary ingredient is bacitracin," Baymax answered as he projected the image of the chemical structure of bacitracin on his chest.

"That's a bummer, I'm actually allergic to that," Hiro stated smugly.

"You are not allergic to bacitracin," Baymax corrected, his speech filled with pauses and odd shifts in tone as his processors filled in the blanks to his predetermined lines, "You do have a mild allergy to peanuts."

"Wow, he really knows his stuff," Tip commented.

"Baymax here is programed with over ten thousand medical procedures and he's equipped with everything necessary to carry them out," Tadashi explained, "Go ahead and give him your arm."

Nodding, Hiro held his arm out to Baymax. The robot gently took the arm and held his finger over it before the antibacterial spray shot out of the tip, coating Hiro's arm.

"Wow," Tip said in amazement, "What's he made out of?"

"Vinyl," Tadashi answered, "I was going with a nonthreatening, huggable kind of vibe."

Walking up to Baymax, Hiro pressed his face against the robot's stomach, stretching it far enough to allow him to see through the material. On the inside, Baymax was largely empty space, though Hiro could see a metallic skeleton within, with wires and pieces of equipment attached to it.

"What did you make the skeleton out of?" Hiro questioned, "Titanium?"

"Carbon fiber," Tadashi answered.

"Right, even lighter," Hiro mused before his eyes lit up as he noticed something, "Killer actuators! Where did you get those?"

"I machined them right here, in house," Tadashi answered proudly.

"Really?" Hiro questioned, pulling back and looking at Tadashi in surprise.

"Yep," Tadashi answered, "He can lift a thousand pounds. That's not the most important part though."

Walking up to Baymax, Tadashi tapped the slot on his chest, causing it to extend, revealing a port designed to hold up to four computer drives. Only one drive was installed, a green colored one with the cartoon depiction of a doctor on it and Tadashi's name written across the top.

"This drive contains all of Baymax's programming," Tadashi elaborated, "It's what makes Baymax Baymax.

As the others talked, Riley remained oddly quiet, staring up at Baymax with wide eyes. Slowly and hesitantly, Riley approached Baymax. Seeming to notice her, Baymax turned his attention towards Riley, causing the girl to freeze in her tracks. For a few moments, the two merely stared at each other, blue eyes looking into black. Then, Baymax did the last thing Riley expected.

Baymax blinked.

"Why…." Riley began to say, grabbing everyone's attention as she paused to lick her dry lips, "Why does he blink?"

Tadashi glanced at Baymax before smirking as he turned his gaze back to Riley.

"It's to keep the electroscopic cameras he has in there clear," Tadashi explained, "It's also a little touch to make people more easy around him. To make him seem more….human."

"Do I make you uneasy?" Baymax questioned.

"No," Riley answered, a smile tugging at her lips, "No, you don't."

"I thought you didn't like bots," Tip observed with a smirk.

"You don't?" Hiro questioned in confusion.

"Not normally, no," Riley explained, taking a step towards Baymax and reaching a hand out towards him, "My dad works on robots, exploration ones. They're always these cold, boxy things focused on their mission. But I can tell Baymax is different. He seems so….gentle and-"

Riley paused as she touched Baymax's stomach, surprised by the warmth she felt radiating off the robot.

"Warm," she finished, her expression turning into a full grin.

"Well, I guess I'm doing something right then," Tadashi observed with a shrug. As he did, Baymax turned his attention back towards Hiro.

"You have been a good boy," Baymax said as he leaned down and lifting his hand up, revealing a red lollipop, "Would you like a lollipop?"

"Oooo thanks," Hiro said with childlike glee, taking the offered treat and popping it in his mouth.

"I cannot deactivate until you tell me you are satisfied with your care," Baymax informed Hiro.

"Alright," Hiro replied with a grin and a nod, "I am satisfied with my care."

Without another word, Baymax turned away and walked over to his case, stepping into it before deflating again.

"So I guess that's his charging station," Hiro observed, "What does he run off of?"

"Lithium ion batteries," Tadashi explained.

"You should use supercapacitors," Hiro replied, "They charge quicker."

Tadashi mulled over the suggestion when a knock came from the door. Turning around, the group found a tall, middle-aged man with short grey hair and blue eyes standing in the door. He was dressed in a grey sweatervest over a maroon shirt with the sleeves rolled up along to the elbow along with brown slacks and brown leather shoes.

"Working on a Saturday, Tadashi?" the man questioned with a chuckle, "I feel like when I was your age, I had better things to do on a weekday then spend all day stuck in the lab."

"I was just showing my brother and his friends around, Professor," Tadashi explained with a warm smile, "We were actually just about to head out."

"Well, let me walk you all out," the professor replied as the group began making their way towards the door, the man's eyes falling on Hiro as they went.

"You must be Hiro," the professor said as he nodded towards the boy in question, "Your brother talks about you all the time. Bot fighter, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Hiro answered with a nod.

"When my daughter Abigail was younger, all she wanted to do was be a bot fighter," the professor mused as they walked through the lab, Tadashi waving to his friends as they left, earning an enthusiastic wave from Honey, "You got it with you?"

"No, but my phone is connected to my computer at home, so I can pull up the schematics," Hiro answered, pulling out his phone and pulling up Megabot's schematics before handing it to the professor.

The man squinted as he looked the schematic over before nodding his head thoughtfully.

"Magnetic bearing servos, huh?" the professor observed as he handed the phone back to Hiro.

"Yeah, I could show you how they work if you'd-" Hiro began to say but stopped as Tadashi bumped his shoulder.

"Hey, genius," Tadashi said as Hiro looked up at him, "He doesn't need you to explain how they work. He's the guy who invented them."

Hiro's eyes went as wide as saucers as he snapped his head around to look at the professor.

"You're Robert Callaghan," Hiro mumbled in astonishment, "You're….You're the guys behind Callaghan's Laws of Robotics."

"That's me, though nowadays, I mostly just teach," Robert chuckled in amusement, "You ever think of applying here? I know you've already graduated high school and your age wouldn't be an issue."

"I don't know," Tadashi spoke up uncertainly before Hiro could answer, "He's pretty serious about his bot fighting career."

"I mean, it's not that serious," Hiro mumbled, causing Riley and Tip to giggle.

"I understand, with a bot like that, winning must come easy," Robert stated as he eyed Hiro.

"Yeah, I-I guess," Hiro replied uncertainly.

"Well, if you like things easy, this wouldn't be the place for you," Robert said as the group reached the elevator, the doors dinging open "We push the limits of science and robotics here. It's not for everyone."

Hiro said nothing as he stepped into the elevator with his friends and brother, Robert leaning against the wall outside.

"It was nice to meet you, Hiro," Robert said with a smirk, "And good luck with the bot fighting."

The doors dinged closed and he was gone.

A few moments later, the group stepped out of the lab and began making their way down the stairs to where Cass' truck waited.

"That was pretty awesome, Tadashi," Tip commented, "Thanks for taking us."

"No problem, it's a pretty great place to work at," Tadashi replied, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he walked.

"What did you think, Hiro?" Riley questioned before pausing and looking back when she didn't get an answer, "Hiro?"

Hiro stood in the middle of the staircase, looking back at the lab.

"You okay?" Riley asked as she turned back and walked up besides him.

"I….Riley, I have to go here," Hiro said as he turned towards the girl, running a hand through his hair, the expression on his face causing her to giggle, "If I don't go to this nerd school, I think I might go insane!"

"Then do it," Riley replied with a shrug, "Geez, if I was as smart as you, I'd apply here in a heartbeat."

"Alright," Hiro said with an excited grin before turning to his brother, "Tadashi, I've decided I want to go here. How do I apply?"

"Well, unfortunately," Tadashi sighed, pulling off his cap and running his hand through his hair, "It's not that simple."

A/N: This has been the most fun I've had writing a chapter in awhile. I had so much to draw on and so many great characters to introduce that it just kept coming, which is why this one ended up running rather long. Hope you guys liked it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Unless you're asking me if the emotions will be in this story, like about a dozen of you already have. The answer is yes, so please, stop asking. Later!


	4. Eureka

**Chapter 4: Eureka**

Riley sighed as she trotted through the halls of her new middle school. She'd only been there for a few days and was still having trouble finding her way around the school. By the time she had found her classroom, the school bell was only a minute or two from ringing. Entering the classroom, Riley quickly moved to an empty seat near the back of the room. She noticed a few of the other students glance at her as she walked in before turning away, though most paid no attention to her at all. It was then that Riley remember that, as good as the last few days had been, she still did not have anything resembling a friend here at school.

She had hoped to see Tip before going to school that day, or even find out that they would be going to the same school, but when she got up this morning, Riley's mother had told her that Tip and her mother had already left for the morning. Riley knew that San Fransokyo was a big city and had multiple schools, plenty of other places for her new friend to go, so it wasn't surprising that she wasn't here.

The bell rang just as Riley set her backpack down, the teacher quieting the class as the girl dug her things out of the bag.

"Good morning class," the teacher greeted as the class quieted down, "Now, I know it seems like we just went through this, but we have a new student joining our class today."

The words caused Riley to jerk her head up in surprise before her features broke out into a wide grin as she saw Tip standing at the front of the classroom. Tip noticed Riley looking at her and gave her the other girl a smirk and a slight nod.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?" the teacher questioned as she looked down at Tip.

"Sure," Tip agreed with a shrug, "My name's Gratuity Tucci, but you can all call me Tip."

"Where are you joining us from?" the teacher asked.

"Barbados," Tip answered, "My mom moved here for work."

"Barbados, my, that is exotic," the teacher commented with a hint of wistfulness, "What did you do there?"

"Normal stuff like swimming, dancing, playing cricket," Tip explained, before sighing at the confused looks her classmates gave her at the mention of her favorite sport, "Anyway, I live here now. I actually moved in across the street from Riley over there."

As Tip indicated to her, the rest of the class turned to look at Riley, causing the blonde to blush and wave awkwardly.

"Well, isn't that nice?" the teacher questioned rhetorically as she looked over at Riley, "It looks like there's an open desk next to her. Why don't you have a seat?"

Tip nodded in reply and walked over to the desk that sat to Riley's right, plopping her backpack on the ground as she settled into the seat.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to school here?" Riley questioned with a grin, whispering as the teacher started the day's lesson.

"I didn't know myself until this morning," Tip quietly replied with a shrug as she took some things out of her backpack, "My mom and I had to leave early today so she could come here and fill out some paperwork."

"This is awesome," Riley grinned as she opened her notebook, "I can't believe you live across the street from me and sit next to me at school."

"Looks like you're stuck with me," Tip commented with a chuckle, "Hope you don't get sick of me."

"Never," Riley replied with a large grin.

 _Later,_

The afternoon sun hung heavy over San Fransokyo as Riley and Tip made their way back home from school.

"So, what did you think of your first day?" Riley asked.

"It was alright," Tip replied with a shrug, "Feels weird being in a new place with all these strangers. Honestly, I'm really happy to have you here."

"Thanks," Riley said with a grin before sighing sadly, "At least your first day went better than mine."

"Why's that?" Tip questioned.

"I….may have cried on my first day," Riley admitted as she hung her head in shame, "In front of the entire class."

"Really?" Tip asked with sympathetic sadness, "Aw man, that's rough, Riley."

"Yeah," Riley agreed as she ran a hand over her face, "You must think I'm a total loser."

"Hardly," Tip answered with a snort, "I doubt anyone else in class does either."

"Really?" Riley asked in surprise.

"Judging by the way they acted around you, I don't think so," Tip answered, "Even that one pretty cool girl didn't seem to look down at you."

"I guess," Riley replied with a shrug, "I mean, she's not that cool."

"The girl was wearing make-up," Tip stated matter-of-factly.

"So?" Riley questioned dismissively, "There are cooler things than make-up."

Tip looked at Riley in confusion for a few moments before something clicked in her head and she rolled her eyes.

"You're still thinking of that Go Go chick you've got a girl-crush on?" Tip questioned with a smirk.

"Hey, she's awesome," Riley argued before quickly adding, "And I do not have a crush on her."

"Uh huh," Tip replied, sounding unconvinced.

"Whatever," Riley relented with a roll of her eyes, "All I'm saying is not only does she wear make-up but she also has a tattoo."

"A tattoo?" Tip questioned, arching an eyebrow at Riley.

"Yeah, on her right shoulder," Riley explained, rubbing the spot on her own shoulder, "I didn't see what it was of, but it was peeking out from under her sleeve. Plus, she's like this genius engineer and an expert biker. And she does roller derby, which is like, super hardcore. I wouldn't be surprised if she did martial arts, or designed video games or fought crime in her time off."

"Yeah, totally not a crush," Tip stated with a snort, earning a glare from Riley. As Riley looked at her, she quickly glanced Tip over before looking up at the sky.

"How can you dress like that?" Riley questioned as she looked at Tip wearing a zipped up, green hoodie and blue jeans, "Aren't you hot?"

"What? No," Tip answered with a shake of her head, "It's way warmer in Barbados. It's downright chilly here. Besides, you were dressed nearly the same way a few days ago."

"Yeah, because all my summer clothes were in the moving van," Riley explained, "I didn't think it was going to be this warm here."

"It's not," Tip argued, looking at the yellow tanktop, jean shorts and flipflops Riley was wearing, the blonde girl's hair up in a short ponytail to keep it away from her neck, "You're just some crazy northern who's never seen the sun before, Fargo."

"If you're cold like this, you'd turn into a popsicle from where I'm from," Riley replied, giving Tip a playful shove.

"Which is exactly why I'm never going anywhere near there," Tip said as she bumped Riley back, causing both girls to laugh.

"So, how's the boy genius doing?" Tip questioned after their laughter died down.

"Why are you asking me?" Riley questioned, her cheeks coloring slightly.

"Because I know you'll know," Tip answered, smirking as Riley looked away from her while tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, I didn't get to see him yesterday," Riley explained, "He's been up in his room working since we last saw him."

"What is this thing he has to do again?" Tip questioned.

"He has to make something for this event at the end of next month," Riley explained, "If he gets enough attention for it, they'll offer him a scholarship to the school."

"Sounds tough," Tip commented.

"Yeah, and it's super competitive," Riley added, "People from all over the world compete for this thing."

"You think he's got it in him?" Tip questioned.

"He's the smartest guy I know," Riley replied with a smile, "You should see the robot he built for his bot fights in action."

"Should we check in on him?" Tip asked.

"I-I don't know," Riley replied hesitantly, "I don't want to bug him."

"Oh, come on," Tip stated as she rolled her eyes, "I'm sure he's already got whatever it is built already. Besides, we're almost to the Lucky Cat anyway."

"Tip, I…." Riley began to argue, but trailed off as the other girl reached out and grabbed her arm before dragging the blonde behind her down the street.

"Stop whining and come on!" Tip ordered as they went, "It will be fine."

After a moment, Riley stopped resisting and fell into step next to Tip. A few minutes later, they were stepping into the Lucky Cat, the bell above the door chiming as they entered.

"Well, if it isn't my two newest customers?" Cass commented as she looked up at the sound of the bell, smiling as she caught sight of the girls, before glancing to the side, "Well, not newest anymore."

Following Cass' gaze, Riley was surprised to find her mother sitting at a table nearby, a cup of coffee sitting in front of her. Even more surprising was the fact Honey was sitting across the table from her.

"Mom! Honey!" Riley said with a surprised smile as the two girls walked over to their table, "What are you guys doing here?"

"I come here a lot," Honey explained, taking a sip of her drink before continuing, "I was….uh, meeting Tadashi here after he was done with classes. He's upstairs right now."

"As for me, you were saying how great this place is, so I had to try it out," Jill replied with a smile, "I have to say, it really lives up to they hype."

"You know, flattery will get you everywhere," Cass commented as she walked by, causing Jill and Honey to chuckle.

"I happened to run into your friend here when I got here," Jill went on as she turned her attention towards Honey, "I recognized her from the way you described her. Though I was under the impression your name was Pam."

"It….It is," Honey replied with an embarrassed chuckle, "Honey is a nickname my friends from school call me. Riley must have picked it up."

"So, how was your first day, Tip?" Jill questioned, chuckling in amusement as she turned her attention towards the girl.

"Pretty good, still getting used to this place," Tip answered.

"As we all are," Jill replied, "What brings you two here?"

"Um…." Riley mumbled as she tucked another strand of hair behind her ear.

"We're here to see Hiro," Tip answered, "We want to see what he's working on."

"Well, you're in for some disappointment," Tadashi said as he walked down the stairs to join them, "Hiro has come up with exactly zero ideas."

"That doesn't sound good," Riley commented worriedly.

"Washed up at fourteen," Tadashi stated with faux sadness as he slowly shook his head, "So sad."

"Tadashi," Cass chided as he gave her nephew a pointed look before smiling at the girls, "I'm sure he'd love to see his friends though. Why don't you two head up to his room? Top of the stairs, can't miss it."

"See if you can try to get him to look at things a different way," Tadashi suggested as Honey stood up and collected her things, "Get him to use that big brain of his."

The girls nodded, leaving their backpacks with Jill before making their way up the stairs, stepping over Mochi who had spread himself across one of the steps. They followed the stairs up to the second floor, which housed most of the apartment, including the living room, kitchen, and doors leading to other, smaller rooms. The walls were lined with pictures, many including a woman who resembled Cass and a man who resembled Tadashi with what looked like much younger versions of the Hamada brothers.

Continuing up the stairs, Riley and Tip came to the smaller third floor. The entire floor was taken up by one room, which was split into two bedrooms. Two beds occupied much of the floor while the walls were covered by posters and shelves packed with action figures. In one corner a large desk sat with an equally large computer on top of it.

As the girls reached the top of the stairs, they found Hiro sitting at the computer desk, in a revolving, wheeled chair, gently banging his head against the wooden surface, piles of balled up pieces of paper surrounding him. Riley and Tip glanced at one another before turning their attention back to Hiro.

"Hiro?" Riley asked hesitantly, "Are you okay?"

At the words, Hiro stopped hitting his head against the desk and slowly lifted it up before turning to look at the girls. Hiro's hair was even messier than usual and he blinked at the girls with bleary eyes, dark bags hanging under them.

"Riley?" Hiro questioned in confusion, "Tip? What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to check on you," Tip stated, narrowing her eyes at Hiro, "Dude, when's the last time you slept?"

"What day is it?" Hiro asked in return, causing Riley to blink in surprise as Tip sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"We heard you were having trouble," Riley explained as she approached Hiro.

"My brain is useless," Hiro groaned, "I have no idea what I could make to show off what I can do and without one, I'll never get into SFIT."

"Well, I tell you what, you're not going to figure anything out running on empty," Tip commented as she crossed her arms over her chest, "You should get some rest."

"Don't have time to rest," Hiro replied as he shook his head before resting it on the desk again, "If I don't come up with an idea, I'm dead in the water."

"Fine," Tip sighed dramatically as she turned towards the stairs, talking over her shoulder to the others, "I'll go see if I can get your aunt to make you something to wake you up."

As Tip began to leave, she caught Riley's eye. As she started making her way down the stairs, Tip looked between Riley and Hiro before pointing at him. Riley looked at her friend in confusion, but Tip merely pointed at Hiro again before disappearing down the stairs. Riley sighed quietly before turning her attention back towards Hiro.

As Riley looked at the older boy, she began to chew her lip thoughtfully, before she thought about what Tadashi had told her a few minutes before. As she pondered his words, an idea came to her, causing Riley to grin.

"Hey, Hiro," Riley said, prompting Hiro to lift his head back up to look at her. As he did, Riley jumped forward and grabbed the back of Hiro's chair before giving it a hard yank, causing it to spin rapidly. Hiro let out a cry of alarm as his room swirled around him, Riley laughing as she continued to spin it.

"Riley!" Hiro shouted in surprise, "What are you doing!?"

"Shaking things up!" Riley answered with a laugh.

Giving the chair a shove, Riley sent it rolling across the room before it bumped into Hiro's bed, throwing him onto it so his head was hanging off the end. As Hiro tried to recover, Riley let out a laugh before running over and flipping onto the bed, landing next to Hiro in the same position.

"Helping you see things from a new perspective," Riley continued with a giggle.

Hiro blinked and shook his head to regain his bearing before looking to the side to find Riley still giggling at him. After a moment, Hiro joined in and the two lay hanging off the side of his bed laughing at each other. Slowly, the laughter died down and they lay their, their hair hanging around their heads as they looked at each other's eyes, his brown meeting her blue. After a moment, Hiro realized how long he had been staring at Riley, causing him to cough awkwardly and look away, his cheeks turning red. Hiro's actions made Riley also realize the awkwardness of the situation and she glanced away as well, running a hand through a few loose locks of her hanging hair as her cheeks took on a rosy tint.

As Hiro looked anywhere but at the girl laying next to him, his eyes fell on Megabot, the robot sitting on his desk near one of his computer monitors. Turning his head to get a better look at the robot, an idea began forming in Hiro's head. His face lighting up with a megawatt smile, Hiro rolled to his feet and let out a whoop of joy.

"That's it!" Hiro exclaimed happily.

"What's it?" Riley asked in confusion as she rolled back to her feet.

"Riley, you're a genius!" Hiro exclaimed happily as he turned towards the girl and pulled her into a hug before lifting her off of the ground and spinning her around. After a moment, Hiro put Riley down, grinning at her as he put his hands on her shoulders, ignoring the bright blush that colored the girl's features.

"W-What did I do?" Riley questioned in surprise.

"You helped give me an idea!" Hiro explained happily, "The best idea! The one I'm going to use to get into SFIT! Come on!"

With that, Hiro grabbed Riley's hand before spinning around and heading for the stairs, grabbing Megabot and tucking it under his arm as he passed his desk while pulling the girl along behind him. As they went, Riley couldn't help but get caught up in Hiro's enthusiasm, giggling as they began bounding down the stairs.

As they reached the second floor, they came upon Tip making her way up the stairs with a cup of coffee. Tip's eyes widened as she saw Hiro and Riley barrelling towards her down the stairs, causing her to freeze in place.

"Thanks, Tip!" Hiro said, grabbing the coffee from the girl's hand as he ran past her.

"Hey!" Tip shouted before Riley grabbed the girl's hand as she ran past, dragging her along with them, "Whoa!"

The three ran down the stairs and through the cafe, the patrons, including Jill, watching them as they flew out the door. Hiro's stocking feet pounded against the pavement as he led the girls around the corner of the building to a garage, Cass' truck parked in the driveway leading up to it. The three of them stumbled to a stop in front of the garage as Hiro released Riley's hand before bending down to lift open the garage door.

"Alright," Tip said, huffing as she caught her breath, "Do either of you want to explain to me what's going on?"

"I don't know," Riley chuckled, catching her breath as well, "Hiro's got an idea."

"What's the idea, boy genius?" Tip questioned as Hiro finished opening the garage door. Inside, the garage was spacious, everything it contained having been pushed against the walls, leaving the middle full of open space. The equipment inside the garage made it resemble some sort of machine shop, with a workbench on either side, a 3D printer in a back corner and a large computer sitting along the back wall. The other back corner held a sort of sitting area, with a rug, a beat-up, old couch and a purple beanbag chair.

"Megabot uses magnetic bearing servos, right?" Hiro questioned as he looked over his shoulder at the girls while walking into the garage.

Riley and Tip exchanged a glance.

"Sure," Tip allowed, prompting Hiro to continue.

"Well, those allow Megabot to reconfigure himself in just about any way you can image," Hiro explained as he sat in a rolling chair near the center of the garage, setting Megabot down on one of the nearby workbenches before taking a sip of the coffee in his hand.

"That's what lets him break apart and pull himself back together," Riley surmised as she and Tip stepped into the garage.

"Exactly," Hiro replied, pointing at Riley and grinning, "So, my thought was, what if I could do that on a larger scale?"

"What do you mean?" Tip questioned as she leaned back against the workbench.

"Well, what if I could have a bunch of these things?" Hiro questioned, pointing at one of the three servos that made up Megabot's body, "Like hundreds, thousands, millions even!"

"That seems like a lot of these things," Riley commented, pushing herself up onto the workbench so she could sit on it before picking up Megabot and looking the robot over.

"Yeah, which is why I was going to miniaturize them," Hiro explained, "There would be a whole, like, I don't know, a whole swarm of them. You could basically make anything you want out of them."

"So like, nanobots?" Tip ventured.

"Not really," Hiro replied with a shake of his head, "Nanobots are supposed to be super tiny. Like you can't even see them. These would be more like….like…."

"Microbots?" Riley suggested.

"Yes!" Hiro said excitedly, seizing the idea, "That's perfect! They're microbots.  
You're just full of great ideas today, Riley."

"This is going to be great, Hiro," Riley said, blushing at the compliment, "I can't wait to see how these turn out."

"It's going to take me some time to get it all worked out," Hiro said as he smiled warmly at Riley, "But when I do, you'll be the first to know."

Riley blushed brighter and tucked another strand of hair behind her ear while Tip rolled her eyes and smiled.

A/N: Another week, another chapter. This one was a bit shorter than the others but I still really like how it turned out. Hope you guys liked it too! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	5. Fitting In

**Chapter 5: Fitting In**

Hiro sat at the computer in the back of his garage, making adjustments to the digital design he was working on. As he worked, the sound of multiple engines rolling up caught his attention. Glancing backwards, Hiro caught sight of a light passing under the garage door before the engines cut off. He heard car doors opening and closing along with the sound of people chatting before the garage door was pulled open.

Tadashi stood behind the door, Honey at his side, not wearing her glasses as she pulled off the spare riding helmet and placed it on Tadashi's scooter sitting behind them. At the same time, Wasabi, Go Go and Fred were walking up the driveway behind them, a grey van parked by the curb at the end of the driveway.

"Hey, little brother," Tadashi greeted with a smile, "How's the work coming?"

"Uh, alright, I guess," Hiro replied with a confused tone as he spun the chair to face the group, "What are you all doing here?"

"Came to check out what you were working on, of course. Plus we wanted to check out your and Tadashi's pad," Fred explained as he trotted in, before his eyes lit up as he spotted something, "Oh sick, beanbag chair."

Without another word, Fred ran forward before flipping onto the beanbag chair in the corner, landing upside down with a flump.

"Tadashi was telling us all about your idea, Hiro," Honey said as she put her glasses back on and fixed her hair.

"Pretty clever stuff," Wasabi commented as he walked up near Hiro and leaned against the workbench with his arms crossed.

"If you can get it working," Go Go added as she sat in the empty chair on the other side of the room, spinning it around before propping her feet up on the other workbench, blowing a bubble with her chewing gum as she settled.

"Have a little faith, Go Go," Tadashi stated with a smirk as he sat on the old couch, Honey settling next to him, "What part of the process are you in?"

"Still designing mostly," Hiro replied as he indicated towards the computer screen, "I based the design off of the servos I was already using for Megabot and I think I figured out how to miniaturize the magnets and circuitry. There's a snag though."

"What's that?" Honey questioned.

"I haven't worked out how to control them yet," Hiro sighed, "With how many of these things you'd need to control for it to be useful, it's way too complicated for a controller or something like it."

"Hmm, that is a pickle," Wasabi commented, stroking his goatee thoughtfully.

"Have you tried asking Fargo yet?" Fred questioned.

Hiro looked at Fred in confusion for a moment before the nickname clicked in his head.

"Riley?" Hiro asked, earning a nod from Fred, "Why would I ask her?"

"Because she's your muse," Go Go answered offhandedly before blowing another bubble.

"M-My what?" Hiro questioned flusteredly, his cheeks coloring as he turned to look at Go Go.

"She's the one who inspires you," Tadashi explained, "She's the one who made you confess to that cop. She's the one who got you to come check out SFIT. She's the one who put the idea for the microbots in your head. Hell, she even named them. Why do you think I wanted her to talk to you when you were in that rut in the first place?"

Hiro said nothing in reply, a pensive look crossing his face as he thought over what Tadashi had said. As Hiro thought, his phone buzzed on the desk next to him, bringing his attention to it.

"That your girlfriend?" Go Go asked.

"She-She's not my girlfriend," Hiro stammered, his face flushing brightly again.

"Why not?" Go Go questioned pointedly, looking over at Hiro with a quirked eyebrow, "From what I've learned about her, she seems way cooler than you."

"She obviously has a crush on you," Honey commented as Hiro bristled at Go Go's comment, causing him to look at the willowy girl in surprise.

"R-Really?" Hiro questioned.

"I mean, yeah but not as big as the one she has on Go Go," Fred replied with a snort.

"Excuse me?" Go Go questioned as she looked over at Fred.

"Not like that," Tadashi explained, "But I do have it on good authority that she thinks, and I quote, you are 'the coolest person she has ever met.'"

Go Go smirked at that.

"What can I say?" she questioned rhetorically, lacing her hands behind her head as she leaned further back in the chair, "Kid has taste."

As the others talked, Hiro looked at his phone.

"So, is it from her?" Fred questioned.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Hiro replied, shooting a glare at Fred.

"It's from her," Fred surmised with a grin.

"It's a MyFace invite," Wasabi noted as he looked over Hiro's shoulder at the boy's phone.

"Hey!" Hiro snapped as he spun around and waved his arm at Wasabi, causing the young man to back up with a chuckle.

"Well, there you go," Go Go commented, "Now you can make it MyFace official."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Hiro meant to growl, though it came out more as a whine, "She's like eleven….I think?"

"Got something against younger women?" Go Go questioned.

"Stop teasing him, Yuri," Honey admonished before turning her attention towards Hiro, "How old is Riley?"

"Um," Hiro murmured as he brought up Riley's profile on his phone, a picture of the girl dressed in hockey gear grinning back at him from the screen, "I was right, she's eleven. Well, for a little while anyway."

"What do you mean?" Wasabi questioned.

"It says here her birthday is next week," Hiro explained as he glanced down at the phone again.

"It is?" Honey questioned, an excited grin crossing her face, "Oh, we should do something for her!"

"Like what, throw her a party?" Hiro questioned.

"Exactly, we should throw her a party!" Honey agreed, clapping her hands as she bounced up and down in her seat excitedly.

"You really want to throw the kid a birthday party?" Go Go questioned with a groan as she looked over at Honey.

"Yuri, I know you haven't seen it but that girl adores you," Honey replied pointedly, "I've talked with her mother and Tadashi has told us all about what happened to her before we met her. She's lonely. It would mean a lot to Riley if we did this, especially if you helped."

"Fine," Go Go sighed, though the small grin on her face showed she didn't feel as put upon as she implied.

"What about the rest of you?" Honey questioned.

"Sure, why not," Wasabi agreed with a shrug.

"I'm always up for a party," Fred added with a laugh.

"I think this will be a lot of fun, Honey," Tadashi said with a grin, earning a warm smile from the young woman, "What do you think, bro?"

"I-I don't know," Hiro replied hesitantly, looking down at the phone in his hand.

Smiling slightly, Tadashi stood up and walked over to Hiro, crouching down so he was eye level with his seated brother.

"Hiro, I'm going to ask you a question, and when I do, know I'm being completely serious," Tadashi said, drawing his brother's attention towards him, "Do you like Riley?"

"Well, yeah," Hiro replied awkwardly, "She-She's my friend. She saved me and helped me come up with the microbots. Of course I like her."

"That's good bro, but that's not what I'm asking," Tadashi stated with a chuckle before reaching out and resting a hand on Hiro's shoulder, "I mean do you really like her?"

Hiro said nothing as he looked away from Tadashi, his face turning a bright shade of red.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure you'd like to do something nice for her, right?" Tadashi questioned with another chuckle.

"O-Of course," Hiro stammered, "But what about my project?"

"Your project isn't going anywhere," Tadashi reassured him, "Besides, you've hit a roadblock. You're not going to solve it by coming at it head on. If you step away and work on something else, the solution will come to you on its own."

"You think?" Hiro questioned hopefully.

"I know," Tadashi stated with a grin.

"Okay," Hiro said with a nod before a bright grin crossed his face, "Okay, let's do it! You're right!"

"I usually am," Tadashi said as he stood up, earning an eyeroll from Hiro, "So, what should we do for Riley's birthday?"

"I've got some ideas," Hiro replied with a grin.

"Well, before you plan anything, there's someone else you have to talk to," Tadashi stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh don't worry, I'll talk to Tip," Hiro replied.

"Yeah, you should do that," Tadashi agreed with a chuckle, "But that's not who I'm talking about."

 _The next day_ ,

Hiro stood on the sidewalk, nervously fidgeting as he looked up at Riley's house. He had known Riley for well over a week now, but even though she had been to his house plenty of times, he had never been to hers. But still, it wasn't weird for him to be at her house. At least, it wouldn't have been if she had been home.

Which he knew she wasn't, because he had made sure to wait until she left for school for the day.

Taking a breath, Hiro forcibly calmed his nerves as he looked back at the narrow staircase that led to Riley's narrow house.

"This is stupid," Hiro grumbled to himself, "You've got nothing to worry about. You met her parents already….after you got released from jail."

Groaning, Hiro turned his attention back towards the narrow stairs before taking another breath and marching up them. His courage failed him again as he reached the door, his hand held out hesitantly to ring the doorbell. He could hear the sound of Riley's parents moving about inside, their muffled chatter floating through the door. Sighing, Hiro reached out and rang the doorbell.

The conversation quieted inside and Hiro could hear heavy steps approaching the door. A moment later, the door swung open and Bill Andersen stood before Hiro, dressed for work and a cup of coffee in his other hand. Bill glanced around in confusion for a moment before his eye fell on Hiro, his expression change rapidly from surprise to recognition and finally settling on, to Hiro's dread, annoyance.

"Uh, g-good morning, Mr. Andersen," Hiro greeted with a small wave and a nervous chuckle.

"...Morning," Bill replied slowly, giving Hiro an appraising look, "You're the Hamada boy, right? Hiro, was it?"

"Y-Yeah, that's….that's me," Hiro answered, his brain screaming in frustration as his mouth refused to cooperate.

"If you're looking for Riley, she's already left for the day," Bill explained, glancing at the watch on his wrist, his own need to leave going unspoken.

"That….that's okay," Hiro replied, nervously running a hand through his messy hair, "I was actually hoping to talk to you and-"

"Honey, who's at the-" Jill Andersen said, accidentally cutting Hiro off as she walked up behind Bill and peeked over his shoulder, her face breaking out into a warm smile as she saw the boy standing at the threshold, "Hiro! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you here this morning?"

"He wanted to talk to us," Bill answered dryly, glancing at his wife.

"Well, isn't that nice?" Jill asked rhetorically before shifting Bill to the side, "Come on in."

"Uh….thank you," Hiro replied nervously, stepping past Bill as he followed Jill towards the kitchen.

"Jill, I-" Bill began to argue before his wife cut him off with a pointed look.

"You can spare a few minutes to hear Hiro out," Jill stated with a tone that brokered no argument, "He came all this way by himself to talk to us, it's the least we can do."

Bill grumbled something about Hiro only living a block away but followed the two into the kitchen nonetheless.

"I would ask if you wanted anything to eat, but seeing as you live above a cafe, I have a feeling you don't need to worry about breakfast," Jill joked as she walked over to the kitchen table, a mug of coffee waiting for her, "Have a seat."

"Thanks," Hiro replied as he took the offered seat, Jill's friendly demeanor relieving much of his anxiety. Bill, for his part, remained at the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the frame.

"So, what can we help you with, Hiro?" Jill questioned.

"Well, I know that Riley's birthday was coming up," Hiro explained nervously, occasionally glancing at Bill, whose gaze was focused solely on him, "So I, well me, my brother and our friends that is, we were thinking of maybe throwing a party for her."

"That's very sweet of you," Jill said with a smile before giving Bill a pointed look, "Isn't it, Bill?"

"Yeah, I guess," Bill replied, glancing away from Hiro.

"What were you thinking?" Jill questioned as she turned her attention back to Hiro, smiling at him.

"Well, we haven't worked out all the details yet but we thought we might make it something of a surprise," Hiro explained, "I found out it's possible to rent out the ice rink for things like this and wouldn't be too expensive if we all pooled our money. My aunt said she would bake a cake too."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Jill said happily, bringing a smile to Hiro's face, "We're definitely on board, right honey?"

Bill made a noncommittal grunt as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Now, you work out the rest of the details with your friends, and keep us in the loop, okay?" Jill asked, earning a nod from Hiro, "Good. Thank you so much for stopping by with this wonderful idea, Hiro. Feel free to come back any time."

"Thanks," Hiro said with a grin as he stood up and began making his way back to the door, "Have a good day, Mr. Andersen."

"Yeah, sure," Bill mumbled as Hiro walked past him and exited the house.

"See?" Jill said, quirking an eyebrow at her husband, "I told you he was a nice boy."

"A nice boy who got himself arrested," Bill replied, though it only gained him an eyeroll from his wife.

 _A few days later,_

The sunlight filtering through her window woke Riley from her slumber. Yawning, she sat upright in her bed, stretching her arms above her head. After rubbing her eyes, she glanced around her room, which looked completely different from what it had been about two weeks previous. The room was no longer large and empty, instead filled with furniture such as her bed, a desk and a set of drawers to compliment her closet full of clothes. Hockey posters and glow-in-the-dark stars hung from the walls and a colored rug covered the wooden floor.

An electronic chirp caught Riley's attention, bringing it to her phone charging on the nightstand next to her bed. Picking it up, she read the text she had received before smiling. Putting the phone down, she grabbed her laptop, which was also charging on her nightstand, and quickly opened it up. A few clicks later and a video chat window was open before her, a little light near the top of the screen indicating the laptop's built in webcam had turned on.

A second later, the face of a girl roughly the same age as Riley appeared on screen. She had a pale complexion and bright red, curly hair that was held back from her face by a green headband. Her blue-grey eyes were framed by green glasses and she smiled brightly at the sight of Riley.

"Hey Meg," Riley greeted cheerfully.

"Hey!" the girl, Meg, replied happily, "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks," Riley stated with a smile.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Meg questioned as she noticed Riley still dressed in her pajamas, "I'm still getting used to this time difference thing."

"No, it's fine, I was getting up anyways," Riley answered with a shrug.

"So, twelve years old, huh? Pretty big," Meg said, causing Riley to chuckle, "Any big plans for the day?"

"Not really, just happy it's on a Saturday this year," Riley replied, shaking her head, "Probably just celebrate it with my parents. Hang out with my new friends."

"And by friends, you mean that boy, don't you?" Meg questioned with a grin.

"Oh, come on, Meg," Riley groaned as she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, you're the one who friended him on MyFace, so now I can put a face to the name," Meg argued, "I have to say, he seems pretty cute."

"Stop," Riley pleaded with a chuckle, "I get enough of this from Tip."

"I like this Tip, I need to meet her," Meg stated, "Even though you're trying to replace me with her."

"Nobody could replace you, Meg," Riley reassured her best friend.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Meg warned before smiling warmly at Riley, "Anyway, I won't hold you up. Have a great birthday, Riley."

"Thanks Meg, I'll talk to you again soon," Riley replied happily.

"Looking forward to it," Meg said before waving, "Bye."

"Bye," Riley replied, waving before shutting her laptop. For a moment, Riley merely sat in her bed, drumming her fingers on top of her laptop and sighing with melancholy. After the moment had passed, Riley shook herself back to the present, put her laptop aside and hopped to her feet.

A few minutes later, Riley came walking down the stairs, dressed in a loose pair of olive green cargo shorts and a yellow t-shirt. Reaching the bottom, she found her mother sitting in the kitchen, reading something on her phone.

"Morning Mom," Riley greeted as she wandered in.

"Good morning, birthday girl!" Jill said happily, setting her phone down, standing up and walking over to Riley before pulling the girl into a hug and kissing the top of her head, "How are you feeling today?"

"Great," Riley replied as she hugged her mother back before pulling away, "Meg called me."

"That's very sweet of her," Jill replied as she made her way back over to her seat, "Any plans for the day?"

"Not really," Riley replied with a shrug before she glanced around, "Where's Dad?"

"Your father had to go into the office for a little while," Jill explained, "He'll be back later to celebrate your birthday."

"Okay," Riley said with a shrug, "I think I might go see what Tip's up to, maybe go down to the Lucky Cat."

Jill smiled as Riley tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the reason for her wanting to go to the cafe going unspoken.

"That sounds fun," Jill agreed, "Why don't-"

Jill was interrupted as the doorbell rang.

"I wonder who that could be?" Jill questioned, though her tone seemed off to Riley.

"I'll get it," Riley volunteered as she began making her way to the door, missing the smile that spread across her mother's features.

"Hello?" Riley questioned as she opened the door, before freezing with her eyes wide as she looked up at the person on the other side. Go Go, for her part, looked down impassively at Riley, blowing a bubble with her gum and pulling it into her mouth, her riding helmet tucked under her arm.

"Hey," Go Go greeted with a nod of her head.

"H-Hey," Riley replied, her voice cracking as she found it again, making her flush with embarrassment, "W-What are you doing here?"

"Heard it was your birthday," Go Go explained with a smirk, "Happy birthday, by the way."

"Th-Thanks!" Riley replied with surprise as a smile spread across her face.

"So, I was thinking, you're still pretty new here," Go Go said, her eyes focused on her nails, cleaning them as she talked, "How about I show you around?"

"I uh….I…." Riley mumbled in reply, unsure of what to say. As Riley struggled, her mother walked up behind her.

"Good morning!" Jill greeted sunnily, "You're Yuri, right?"

"I am," Go Go replied, holding her hand out to Jill, "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Andersen."

"Please, just call me Jill," she replied as she shook Go Go's offered hand, "So, what brings you here?"

"Heard it was Riley's birthday," Go Go answered with a shrug, "Was wondering if she wanted me to show her around a bit. She's still a little new here, after all."

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea!" Jill stated as she lay her hands on Riley's shoulders and looked down at her daughter, "Don't you think so, Riley?"

"C-Can I?" Riley questioned hopefully as she looked up at her mother.

"Of course," Jill replied, "It's your birthday after all."

Riley beamed up at her mother before turning her attention back to Go Go.

"Let me go throw on my shoes!" Riley said before darting away, causing Go Go to snort in amusement.

"Thank you for doing this again," Jill whispered to Go Go, "I can tell she really looks up to you."

"She seems like a cool kid," Go Go replied with a shrug, "It will be fun."

"So, we'll meet you at the rink around three?" Jill questioned.

"That's what I was told," Go Go confirmed with a nod.

"Ready!" Riley declared as she ran back up to the front door.

"Then let's roll," Go Go replied, jerking her head in the direction of the street.

"Have fun!" Jill called as Go Go and Riley made their way down the stairs to the sidewalk.

"I will!" Riley called back with a wave.

"So, tell me, Fargo," Go Go said as they reached the bottom of the stairs, "You ever ridden on a motorcycle before?"

"I, uh, rode on Tadashi's moped that one time," Riley answered.

"So, that would be a no," Go Go said with a derisive snort as she put her riding helmet back on, "You're in for a treat then."

Walking to the curb, Riley's eyes widened as she saw the yellow and black, Japanese-style motorcycle parked there. Go Go walked over to the motorcycle while fishing a set of keys out of her jacket pocket and straddled it before putting a key in the ignition and starting it up. The motorcycle revved loudly as it's engine started, giving Riley pause as she stood next to it.

"Here," Go Go said, speaking louder so she could be heard over the roar of the engine as she handed Riley a yellow riding helmet, "Put this on."

Nodding, Riley took the helmet and slid it on, the helmet sitting snuggly on her head.

"Get on," Go Go instructed, motioning towards the back of the bike with her thumb.

Nodding again, Riley quickly pulled herself onto the back of the bike seat, settling in and getting as comfortable as she could.

"Hold on tight," Go Go instructed, prompting Riley to wrap her arms around the young woman's midsection, "You ready?"

"Yeah!" Riley declared.

"Okay, here we go!" Go Go replied as she kicked up the bike's kickstand, revved the engine and lifted her feet up as the bike started rolling down the street. Passing the house, Riley saw her mother wave and smile nervously at her, prompting Riley to give a quick wave back before quickly grabbing back on to Go Go as the bike picked up speed.

Turning on to the main roads of San Fransokyo, Riley couldn't help but smile broadly as the wind whipped by.

"I heard Magic pulled some pretty crazy stunts on that moped of his," Go Go said over her shoulder, speaking even louder so the wind wouldn't carry away her words.

"Yeah!" Riley acknowledged, "It was so cool!"

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Go Go declared, "Hold on!"

Wrapping her arms tighter around the older girl, Riley let out a whoop of delight as Go Go gunned the engine, sending them shooting down the street. Go Go expertly darted around a few of the cars in the road, earning angry honks as they zipped by.

Riley was practically laughing with joy as they rolled to a stop at the top of a steep hill. The rest of the city and the San Fransokyo harbor stretched out before them, the Toji Gate Bridge standing proud in the distance. Looking down the hill, Riley found that the road snaked its way down the hill, slithering back and forth until it reached the very bottom.

"Whoa," Riley said as she looked down at the street with wide eyes.

"Yeah," Go Go agreed with a chuckle as she glanced back at Riley, "You ready for this?"

"Born ready!" Riley declared earning a laugh from Go Go.

"That's what I like to hear, hold tight!" Go Go declared before revving the engine and urging the motorcycle down the hill. In the back of her mind, Riley knew Go Go was going down the road faster than was advisable but the adrenaline pumping through her veins kept the thought at bay. The motorcycle's tires screeched as Go Go took the tight turns on the switchback road, the forces of their momentum rocking the rider and passenger back and forth. Riley let out a whoop of joy as they reached the bottom of the hill before the bike rocketed down the road, a car blaring its horn at them as Go Go swerved around it.

Riley was still laughing as Go Go pulled the bike to the side of the road and killed the engine.

"You like that?" Go Go questioned, looking over her shoulder at Riley as she pulled off her helmet and ran a hand through her hair.

"Are you kidding!?" Riley asked in return as she pulled off her helmet as well, strands of hair sticking in every direction, "That was amazing!"

"Thrill seeker, huh?" Go Go inquired with a laugh, "I'm liking you more and more Fargo."

Riley beamed back at Go Go before taking the time to glance around, noticing that they had parked out in front of a hair salon.

"Where are we?" Riley questioned.

"This is the hair salon my mom runs," Go Go explained, nodding towards it as she stepped off the bike, "Come on."

Following Go Go, Riley stepped into the salon, stepping into the waiting area which had a few chairs scattered about, a simple, red rug covering the ground, a coffee table covered in magazines and a television in the upper corner displaying the news. A service desk sat across the room from the door and beyond it Riley could see the working area of the salon, catching sight of a few hairdressers busily at work.

Behind the service desk was a middle-aged woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Go Go, with a slighter build and curly, black hair. She narrowed her brown eyes at Go Go as she approached.

"Why do you ride that deathtrap, Yuri?" the woman questioned without preamble, her voice thick with an accent Riley couldn't place, "You're going to get yourself killed someday."

" _Eomma,_ " Go Go groaned, rolling her eyes and putting her hands on her hips as she stopped in front of the desk.

"I'm serious," the woman continued, "You're going to crash or blow yourself up and then where will I be? I'll tell you. Dead. Then my heart will give out because my only daughter has died. We'll both be dead and that will make you a murderer."

Go Go narrowed her eyes and looked like she was about to argue but her mother had already turned her attention towards Riley.

"Who's this pretty, young lady?" Mrs. Park asked, smiling at Riley.

"This is Riley Andersen," Go Go explained, "She's a friend of mine. Riley, this is my mother."

"You hanging out at elementary schools now?" her mother questioned, quirking an eyebrow at Go Go before looking back at Riley, "She didn't make you get on the bike, did she?"

"I, uh, I mean…." Riley struggled to answer, causing Mrs. Park to sigh.

"You're taking little girls on joy rides now?" Mrs. Park questioned as she turned back to Go Go, "You're going to get her killed too. And then her mother will die of sadness. You'll be a murderer three times over."

" _Eomma,_ " Go Go growled threateningly.

"Anyway, what can I help you two with?" Mrs. Park questioned.

"It's Riley's birthday today," Go Go explained, "I was going to treat her by getting her hair colored."

Riley gasped in surprise and looked at Go Go excitedly.

"It's bad enough you make my girls put that stuff in your hair," Mrs. Park chided as she gestured to the purple streaks in Go Go's hair, "Now you want to force it on this sweet, little girl?"

" _Eomma,_ if you don't like it, why do you even carry it?" Go Go questioned, quirking an eyebrow right back at her mother.

"Fine," Mrs. Park relented, "Have her pick out a color and I'll let you know when one of the girls are ready."

Smirking victoriously, Go Go led Riley over to a rack filled with hair coloring.

"Alright, Fargo, what's your favorite color?" Go Go questioned while glancing down at Riley's t-shirt before reaching out to grab a strand of Riley's blonde hair and holding it up, "Other than yellow, that is."

Riley looked up at Go Go for a moment before grinning.

 _Later,_

Over an hour had passed by the time Riley and Go Go stepped out of the hair salon, Mrs. Park complaining about the motorcycle as they left. Riley grinned as she held out a strand of her hair so she could look at it, now colored the same shade of violet as the streaks in Go Go's own. Riley quickly tucked it back behind her ear with the rest of the purple streak that ran down the left side of her hair as she followed Go Go to her motorcycle.

As she walked, Riley's stomach suddenly let out a loud growl, causing the girl to blush as Go Go paused and looked back at her.

"Hungry?" Go Go ventured, earning a nod from Riley, "Me too."

"Is there anywhere around here that has good food?" Riley asked.

"I know a pretty good place," Go Go stated as she straddled her motorcycle, "You ever eat sushi before?"

Riley shook her head uncertainly as she took the yellow helmet and put it on.

"You up for trying some?" Go Go questioned as she put on her own helmet, "I promise it will be good."

"Okay," Riley agreed after a moment, as she climbed onto the motorcycle, "Let's do it."

It didn't take them long to reach their destination, which sat on the crest of one of San Fransokyo's many hills a few blocks away. The building was not very attention grabbing, sharing, as it shared the same Japanese architectural style as the rest of the city. What did stand out was the bright, animesque fish painted on the sign above the front doors, declaring the building to be Takahito's Sushi Wonderland. Go Go parked her bike in the parking lot and led Riley inside.

The restaurant was a simple affair with a few tables scattered about with dim lighting and cream colored walls. Near the back was a bar with a number of chairs lined up on one side. On the other side of the bar, separated by a plexiglass barrier, was a preparation area for sushi. The rest of the kitchen lay beyond it, including a grill that sent a cloud of white steam floating into the grate in the roof.

" _Irasshaimase_!" the half-dozen cooks called from the kitchen as the bell above the door announced Go Go and Riley's arrival. As she looked at the cooks, one in particular gave her pause.

"Wasabi?" she questioned in confusion, prompting the young man to look up from the vegetables he was slicing to grin at her. Wasabi, like the other cooks, was dressed in a long white tunic secured with a cloth belt, over a pair of black pants. He wore a simple white hat on his head, his dreads pulled back into a tight ponytail.

"Hey, little lady!" Wasabi greeted with a grin as Riley followed Go Go up to the sushi bar, "How's it going?"

"Good," Riley grinned as Go Go took a seat, prompting Riley to do the same, "You work here?"

"Sure do," Wasabi replied as he went back to dicing the vegetable in front of him, "Have to pay the bills somehow."

Riley watched with fascination as Wasabi used the razor sharp knife in his hand to slice the vegetable into little chunks.

"You're really good at that," Riley admired.

"Thanks," Wasabi replied, "I've had years of practice. Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thank you," Riley replied with a smile before a thought occurred to her and she glanced between Wasabi and Go Go, "Wait. Did you guys plan this?"

Wasabi paused in cutting up another vegetable and looked at Go Go, who stopped removing her gloves to look back at him. Then, simultaneously, they both smirked and shrugged their shoulders, earning a laugh from Riley that they both joined in on.

"So, what will it be?" Wasabi questioned.

"I've never had sushi before," Riley replied, looking up at Wasabi, "What should I get?"

"Tell you what, I'll whip you up something special, okay?" Wasabi suggested, "You'll love it, I promise."

"As long as it doesn't have any broccoli in it," Riley warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Wasabi assured her with a grin.

"Okay," Riley allowed, prompting Wasabi to begin working.

"Man, I don't know how you stand the heat in here," Go Go stated as she began pulling off her leather jacket.

"You get used to it," Wasabi replied with a shrug, stealing glances at Go Go as she stripped down to her white tanktop.

Glancing over at Go Go, Riley's eyes widened as she looked at the young woman's shoulder, or, more specifically, the tattoo that covered it. The tattoo was of an animal, one Riley immediately recognized as a fox, with its canine features and red and white fur. The image seemed to depict the fox crawling down Go Go's arm. What really caught Riley's attention though was what was unusual about the fox beca instead of one tail, the fox had multiple, nine by Riley's quick count. The tails also appeared longer than a fox's tail tended to be, fanning out to cover the entirety of Go Go's shoulder and disappearing under her tank top. The image had done in the same style as traditional Japanese art, and the tails seemed to bend and curl around one another like wisps of smoke.

"You like it?" Go Go questioned, snapping Riley out of her thoughts with a start.

"Y-Yeah," Riley replied, her face flushing at having been caught staring.

"Here, take a closer look," Go Go said as she pulled the straps of her tank top and bra down, allowing Riley to see where the tattoo ended over the young woman's shoulder blade.

"That's so cool," Riley whispered in awe before looking back at Go Go, "What is it?"

"It's a _kyuubi no kitsune_ ," Go Go answered as she put her straps back into place, "A nine-tailed fox."

"What's that?" Riley inquired.

"It's a creature from Japanese folklore," Go Go explained, "It's said that the older a fox got, the more tails it would grow, and by doing so, it would get magical powers. The most it could get was nine, meaning one that had all of them was very clever, very powerful and very dangerous."

"I still don't know why you got that," Wasabi spoke up, "Injecting ink into your skin with dirty needles? Ugh. Plus you're not Japanese, you're Korean."

"So, what?" Go Go questioned as she rolled her eyes, "That means I was supposed to get what? A unicorn? Please. Besides, my parents might be from Korea, but I was raised here. I grew up around this stuff more than anything Korean."

"I think it's really cool," Riley stated, prompting Go Go to smile and give Wasabi a 'see?' look, earning a shrug from the young man as he went back to preparing their food.

"Don't let my mother here you say that," Go Go stated as she turned back to Riley, "But thanks, Fargo. Your parents better hope I'm not around to take you out for your eighteenth birthday. I don't think they'd like what you'd come back with."

Riley chuckled at that as Wasabi turned back to them and handed them each a plate with a few pieces of sushi on it.

"Dig in," Wasabi said with a smile as the girls took the plates.

"Thanks," Riley said as she placed the plate down in front of her, before glancing around for silverware, a worried look crossing her face as she only found chopsticks, "Um…."

"Hey," Wasabi spoke up, bringing Riley's attention to him as he handed her a fork from the other side of the bar while winking at her, "It's okay to cheat a little."

Riley thanked Wasabi with a smile as she took the fork from him before spearing a piece of sushi with it. Holding it up in front of her, Riley hesitated for a moment as she looked down at the sushi. Glancing over at Go Go, Riley saw the young woman was already using a pair of chopsticks to dig into the sushi, happily munching on one of the pieces. Shrugging, Riley put the sushi into her mouth and started chewing. A moment later, her entire face lit up.

"This is really good!" Riley exclaimed through her mouthful of rice, vegetables and fish.

"Thanks," Wasabi replied before grimacing in disgust, "And please don't talk with your mouth full."

"Sorry," Riley mumbled sheepishly as she swallowed her food and went for another piece of sushi.

"Enjoying your meal?" a voice asked to Riley's side, causing her to jump in surprise. Turning towards the source of the noise, Riley found an old man standing to her side. He was short, standing as tall as Go Go, with short, snow white hair and a kindly, wrinkled face. His skin was tan and leathery and he wore a black, cloth jacket along with similarly colored pants and wooden sandals.

"My apologies," the man said with a soft but gravelly voice, "I did not mean to startle you."

"It's okay," Riley replied with a chuckle, "And yes, the food is great!"

"It pleases me to hear that," the old man replied with a grin that fit perfectly on his face, "I'm happy that all of my lessons have stuck with Darron."

The old man turned to look at Wasabi.

"Isn't your shift over?" the old man asked rhetorically, "Come, eat with your friends."

"Thank you, Takahito- _sensei_ ," Wasabi replied as he gave the old man a quick bow before he went about meticulously cleaning his knives before sliding them each into a specific slot on the knife block that sat nearby.

" _Sensei_?" Riley questioned as Wasabi made his way over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.

"It means teacher," the old man, Takahito, explained.

"You taught him how to cook?" Riley questioned as she put another piece of sushi into her mouth.

"That, among other things," Takahito answered.

"What other things?" Riley questioned through a mouthful of food.

"Takahito- _sensei_ is also a master of karate and tai chi," Wasabi explained as he walked around to the front of the sushi bar, taking off his hat and shaking out his dreads, "Dude, seriously, your mouth."

"Lay off the kid," Go Go spoke up, her mouth also full of food.

"If you think he's bad now, you should have seen him when we first met," Takahito commented with a loud laugh that didn't seem to fit his small frame, "He was so afraid of germs, I wasn't sure he would make it through the door!"

Riley laughed as she ate the last piece of sushi.

"I didn't know you knew karate," Riley stated as she looked over at Wasabi.

"I mean, I know a little," Wasabi answered with a shrug.

"Dude, you're a black belt," Go Go spoke up as she gave Wasabi an annoyed glare, "You know more than a little."

"Wow, really?" Riley questioned in shock.

"Darron is my very best student," Takahito stated with a proud smile, "He has come very far in a few short years."

"That….That's not true," Wasabi argued weakly, his face flushing.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Takahito questioned, arching a white eyebrow at Wasabi as his smile disappeared.

"N-No, _sensei_ ," Wasabi quickly backpedaled, causing Riley to giggle in amusement.

"Good," Takahito replied simply, his smile returning as he turned his attention back to Riley, "I hope you enjoyed your meal."

"I did, thank you," Riley replied.

"Why don't you head outside, Fargo," Go Go suggested as she nodded towards the door, "I'll settle the bill."

Riley nodded, thanked Wasabi and Takahito again and left.

"She seems like a bright and cheerful young woman," Takahito commented.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool," Go Go agreed before looking at Wasabi, "You going to head over now?"

"Yeah," Wasabi replied, "I'll let you know when I get there."

"Cool," Go Go stated as she left some money on the sushi bar, "Don't dwaddle though, I can't stall forever."

"I'll get there as quickly as traffic laws allow me," Wasabi replied as Go Go put her jacket back on, causing the young woman to roll her eyes and sigh. Go Go glanced at Takahito, who merely chuckled and shrugged before making his way to the kitchen, prompting the young woman to exit the restaurant, the bell jingling behind her as she went.

A/N: And I follow up a relatively short chapter with this monster. Seriously, there was going to be more, but it got to be too much so I have split it between this chapter and the next. As you all have probably picked up, next to writing action scenes, I really like writing character and world building stuff. Hope you liked it too! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	6. Breaking the Ice

**Chapter 6: Breaking the Ice**

Riley let out another whoop of joy as she and Go Go shot between two cars on the young woman's motorcycle, horns blaring in their wake. The sound of the bike's roaring engine and the wind whipping past them filled Riley's ears as they sped along, the girl clutching Go Go's midsection tightly. As they reached a red light, Go Go hit the brakes, causing the motorcycle to skid to a stop at the traffic light.

Setting her feet on the ground as her motorcycle rumbled impatiently, Go Go reached into her pocket and fished out her phone. She quickly glanced at it before sliding it back into her pocket.

"You ready to head to our next destination?" Go Go questioned as she glanced over her shoulder at Riley.

"Sure!" Riley replied happily, "Where are we going?"

"That would ruin the surprise, Fargo," Go Go answered with a chuckle as she turned to face forward again. Riley was about to press the young woman for an answer, but was cut off as the traffic light turned green and Go Go gunned the engine, the motorcycle popping a wheelie as it shoot down the street.

The two rode in silence for a few minutes before they reached an area of San Fransokyo that Riley started to recognize. As they turned a corner, the sight of a large, concrete arena came into view. As they approached it, Riley could read the words "San Fransokyo Ice Rink" written above the doors on the side of the building.

"Hey," Riley said as Go Go pulled the motorcycle into a parking spot near one of the doors, "I've been here before."

"Really?" Go Go commented with a smirk, pulling her helmet off after killing the engine, "Fancy that."

"What are we doing here?" Riley asked suspiciously as she pulled off her own helmet and followed Go Go towards the entrance.

"Well geez, Fargo, what do people usually do at a ice rink?" Go Go asked sarcastically, pulling open the door and allowing Riley to enter. Riley eyed the young woman suspiciously but entered anyway.

The two passed through the front lobby of the ice rink, Go Go nodding to the middle aged man sitting behind the front desk as they went.

"Uh, Go Go," Riley spoke up with a hesitant voice, "I don't have any skates."

"Don't worry," Go Go dismissed with a lazy wave of her hand, "I've got you covered."

The two walked into the ice rink, a large, high-ceilinged room with the ice in the center surrounded by wood and plexiglass boards. The edges of the room were occupied by metal bleachers while banners and game clocks hung on the walls. Other than Riley and Go Go, the rink seemed completely empty.

"Go Go, why are we…." Riley began to say as she turned towards the young woman, only to trail off when she found her silently counting down on her fingers, "What are you-"

"Surprise! Happy birthday!" a group of voices exclaimed as a whole group of Riley's friends and family jumped from their hiding spots behind the bleachers, cutting the girl off and causing her to jump in surprise. Looking around with wide eyes, Riley found her parents, Hiro, Tadashi, Tip, Honey, Wasabi, Fred, Lucy and Cass all standing before her with big grins, most of them dressed in warm clothes to battle the cold temperature of the ice rink.

"Ohmygosh," Riley gasped, covering her mouth in surprise as she looked around, "What is this!?"

"It's a birthday party, duh," Go Go replied with amusement, causing Riley to turn back to her, "Surprise, by the way."

"You planned this?" Riley questioned.

"Well, we all helped," Tip spoke up before playfully elbowing Hiro in the side, "It was Hiro's idea though."

"Really!?" Riley asked as she spun around and beamed at Hiro.

"Well, I-I mean, I guess, a little," Hiro mumbled in reply, blushing as he ran a hand through his messy hair. Before he could say anything else, Riley ran up to him and pulled him into a hug, her momentum nearly knocking the boy over. Hiro stood awkwardly after catching himself, unsure of what to do before slowly returning the hug.

"Thank you," Riley said as she pulled away, blushing slightly as she tucked one of her purple strands of hair behind her ear.

"Hey," Hiro replied with a shrug, "I didn't do this all by myself."

"You're right," Riley agreed as she took a step back to address the gathered group, "Thank you all so much."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Cass replied with a smile.

"Besides, there's no point in thanking us yet," Fred spoke up, "After all, the party's just getting started!"

"We have cake and presents," Bill stated before grinning at his daughter, "But I think we know what you want to do first."

"We brought you your skates and some winter clothes," Jill added, "If that's what you want to do."

"You bet!" Riley exclaimed excitedly, earning laughs from the others.

A few minutes later, Riley was dressed in her yellow jacket and had traded her shorts for a pair of blue jeans. After changing, Riley had pulled her hair back into a short ponytail, the purple streak contrasting sharply with her blonde hair on the left side of her head.

As soon as she had finished tying her skates, Riley made her way onto the ice, expertly gliding across the rink's slick surface as soon as she stepped onto it. As she glided around the rink, Riley grinned as she watched the others join her. Tadashi and Honey were skating together, both dressed in long, winter coats, navy blue and magenta respectively, grasping onto each other as they attempted to stay standing on unsteady feet. Wasabi, dressed in a light green jacket with a yellow scarf around his neck, was hugging the wall, grasping desperately to the edge as he fought to keep his feet underneath him. Fred, wearing a bright orange parka, had seemingly given up any pretense of staying on his feet and had taken to sliding across the rink on his belly where room would allow him. Riley's parents waved to her as they stepped easily on the ice. Behind them, Cass was helping Lucy out onto the ice, only for the other woman to immediately lose her balance and send them both tumbling to the ice in a fit of giggles.

"Heads up, Fargo!" Riley heard Go Go shout before the young woman shot past her, bopping the girl gently on the head as she passed. Blinking in surprise, Riley looked at Go Go as she passed, the young woman sticking her tongue out at the girl as she glided backwards away from her, her leather jacket zipped all the way up and a pair of simple blue earmuffs covering her ears. Taking the challenge, Riley grinned before racing after Go Go.

Riley's skates cut across the ice as she chased after Go Go, the young woman quickly spinning around as the girl caught up to her. Together, the two began to race around the rink, pumping their legs faster and faster in an effort to gain an edge on one another, occasionally glancing at each other and grinning.

As they sped around the rink, Riley was forced to weave around her mother and father before scooting between Tadashi and Honey, shouting an apology as she ducked under their clasped hands. At the same time, Go Go zoomed around Cass and Lucy, pressing herself near the boards as she squeezed past them. As the two girls skated, Fred suddenly came into view, obliviously sliding towards them on his back.

"Fred!" Go Go shouted, causing the young man to look up, his eyes widening in shock as the two skaters came barreling towards him. With barely any time to react, Riley skidded to the side, causing her to lose her footing, sending her sliding across the ice on her bottom. At the same time, Go Go hopped into the air, just managing to clear Fred before landing on the ice again.

"Watch it!" Go Go snapped angrily, glaring back at Fred as she glided forward.

"Same to you!" Fred shouted back in a panic as he pointed towards something in the direction Go Go was skating.

Her brow furrowing in confusion, Go Go turned forward, just in time to find herself barreling towards Wasabi whose attention was focused on his feet. Go Go let out a squawk of panic just in time for Wasabi to lift his head up and scream in fear before she crashed into him.

The two students fell to the ice in a heap, Go Go's momentum sending them skidding across the rink's frozen surface. They eventually came to a stop a few feet from where they had started with Wasabi flat on his back with his limbs splayed out around him and Go Go draped perpendicularly across his chest. As the two came to a stop, Wasabi's head bumped gently against the boards.

"Ow," Wasabi groaned as he and Go Go lay on the ice. As soon as he spoke, a soft beeping noise could be heard, followed by the sound of something inflating. A second later, the noise cut out, replaced by the sound of squeaky, rubbery feet as Baymax came into view outside the rink. Baymax paused at the boards before looking down, his head smushing against the plexiglass window as he did so.

"Hello," Baymax said in his usual calm and polite tone as he gave a circular wave, "I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion. I was alerted to the need for medical attention when you said the word 'ow'."

"Hey, Baymax," Wasabi groaned as he looked up at the robot, "Didn't realize Tadashi brought you."

"Well, I figured since most of us are pretty bad at this, there was a good chance one of us might get hurt," Tadashi explained as he skated up, Honey clinging to his arm, "It'd be a good test run for him."

"My scans indicate that you have both suffered bruising to your shoulders and torsos," Baymax went on.

"Ugh, you've got that right," Go Go replied as she pushed herself up into a kneeling position on the ice before patting Wasabi on the chest, "Didn't realize how solid you were."

"Not solid enough," Wasabi groused as he sat up, leaning against the boards.

"Are you guys okay?" Riley questioned as she skated up with the others, a worried look on her face.

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?" Baymax questioned as he displayed his pain chart on his chest.

"I don't know, four maybe?" Wasabi answered before he noticed Go Go still kneeling next to him with her hand on his chest, "Um…."

"Seriously though, are you okay?" Go Go questioned, looking Wasabi directly in the eyes as she spoke.

"Y-Yeah," Wasabi replied, blushing as he averted his eyes from hers, "Come on, I'm a tough guy."

"Right, sorry though," Go Go stated with a snort of amusement, before she glanced over her shoulder and shot a glare at Fred, "Somebody decided to do a belly flop on the ice and I had to get out of the way."

"Sorry," Fred replied sheepishly.

As the others helped Wasabi to his feet, Bill skated up to Baymax, looking at the robot through the plexiglass window.

"Can I answer any questions for you, sir?" Tadashi asked as he skated up next to Bill.

"This yours?" Bill questioned as he indicated to Baymax, watching as the robot offered medical advice to Wasabi as his friends helped him stay steady on his skates.

"Yeah, I built him at school," Tadashi answered with a smile.

"This is an impressive piece of work," Bill stated, rubbing his chin as he looked the robot over, "You program him too?"

"Yes, sir," Tadashi confirmed with a nod.

"That must have taken you awhile," Bill observed.

"Baymax has been….he's been years in the making," Tadashi answered with a smile, "I think your daughter said you work with robots?"

"Exploration ones, and I'm more of management nowadays," Bill explained wistfully, "Been years since I built or programed anything. Have to say though, if this is any indication of what you can do, I'd kill to have you on my team."

"Thank you sir, that means a lot," Tadashi replied with a smile, "But I'm happy where I am and I've never had a taste for exploration."

"I figured you'd say something like that," Bill conceded with a laugh before turning his attention back towards Baymax, who was watching as the others helped Wasabi to make his way across the ice, "You've got something here with this robot. I'll be interested to see what you do with it."

Tadashi's only answer was to smile proudly.

As the others helped Wasabi off the ice, Riley found Tip and Hiro still standing by the entrance of the rink. Her friends were far more bundled up than Riley, not used to the cold as she was. Tip was especially bundled up, with a heavy green parka, thick black pants, purple wool gloves and a matching hat that smushed down her curly hair. Hiro on the other hand, wore a dark blue jacket and black ski cap.

"Aren't you guys coming out?" Riley questioned as she glided over to them.

"I don't know…." Tip replied hesitantly, her normal bravado having left her.

"Did you see what happened to Wasabi?" Hiro questioned with quirked eyebrow, "No, thank you."

"Oh, come on," Riley groaned as she reached out and grabbed her friends by their wrists, "Don't be lame."

Before either of them could argue, Riley pulled Tip and Hiro onto the ice, sending all three of them skidding across the slippery surface. Riley easily regained her balance while Tip grabbed onto the wall for support. Hiro, however, flung his arms about for a few moments before falling hard on his behind.

"Are you okay?" Riley chuckled as she skated over to Hiro's side.

"Peachy," Hiro groused back at her.

"Here," Riley said, grinning as she held her hand out to Hiro, "Let me help you."

Hiro hesitated for a moment, looking at the girl's offered hand, a nervous look crossing his face. Seeing the look, Riley looked away from his shyly as her face grew warm, though she continued to hold her hand out to him. After a moment, Hiro found his nerve and reached out and took Riley's hand. Feeling Hiro's warm skin against hers, Riley pulled Hiro up, righting the boy who now stood inches away from her, so close their noses were practically touching.

"You….um…." Riley mumbled, averting her eyes again as she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear with her free hand, her other still clutched in Hiro's grip, "You want me to teach you how to skate?"

"Um…." Hiro replied, his face turning red as well.

"Well, I don't know about him, but I'd certainly appreciate it," Tip said as she glided towards them, her arms pinwheeling as she struggled to stay on her feet. The comedic sight dispersed the awkward tension that had grown between Hiro and Riley, who both laughed at their friend's antics.

"Here," Riley said between giggles as she reached out and took Tip's hand with her free one, "I'll teach you both."

Leading the way, Riley began to patiently teach her friends the basics of ice skating, both of their hands in hers as they slowly moved their way across the ice.

"Hey," Hiro said as a smile spread across his face, "I think I'm-"

The rest died in Hiro's throat as his legs shot out from underneath him, sending him falling to the ground and dragging the girls down with him. The trio sat stunned on the ice for a moment before Riley began giggling. Quickly, Tip and Hiro joined in so that all three of them were laughing as they sat on the ice.

"I've missed this," Riley admitted as their laughter died down.

"This is pretty fun," Tip admitted before a thought came to her, "Hey, why don't we play a game of hockey?"

"Huh?" Riley questioned in surprise, "Really?"

"Yeah, we could totally do it," Hiro agreed, "They have a bunch of equipment here that we can rent and use."

"Okay!" Riley agreed with a bright smile, "That sounds great!"

"Hey, Tadashi!" Hiro called over to his brother, "We're going to play a game of hockey! Are you guys in?"

Tadashi glanced around at his friends, most of them nodding in agreement.

"I think Wasabi's going to sit this one out, but other then that, we're in!" Tadashi declared.

"Alright!" Hiro said happily, standing up on wobbly feet, "You guys versus us!"

"Um, I'm not good at math, but I'm pretty sure that would be four on three," Fred pointed out.

Glancing at his friends, Hiro realized that Fred was right and a pensive expression passed over their faces. After a moment, Riley's face lit up as a thought came to her.

"Don't worry," Riley reassured them, "I have an idea."

 _A few minutes later,_

"I'm not sure about this, Riley," Hiro admitted, a hesitant expression on his features as he adjusted the hockey gloves he was wearing.

"Come on, he'll be fine," Riley insisted as she played with the hockey stick in her hands, "I mean, Tadashi said he was programed to learn, right?"

"Yeah but I don't think this was what he had in mind," Tip commented dubiously, her hat traded for a hockey helmet.

Baymax stood before them, covered in as many hockey pads as they could strap onto his rubbery body, covering most of his arms and upper torso, but leaving his lower torso bare. He stood on the ice in front of a hockey goal, no skates on his nub-like feet and a goalie stick clutched in one hand.

"I am not programed for hockey," Baymax pointed out, blinking at them from behind the old fashion hockey mask he wore.

"It's easy," Riley assured him, holding up a hockey puck for Baymax to see, "See this?"

"Yes," Baymax answered.

"All you have to do is make sure this doesn't get in there," Riley explained, indicating towards the goal behind Baymax. Baymax turned around to look at the goal, studied it for a moment and then turned back around to look at the trio.

"I understand," Baymax stated.

"Okay, let's practice," Riley stated, putting the hockey puck on the ice and gently hitting it towards Baymax. The robot watched as the puck slid slowly across the ice, making no move towards it until it bumped against his foot. After a moment of studying the puck, Baymax looked at the hockey stick in his hand before reaching down and gently brushing the puck aside with it. Standing up straight, Baymax looked at the puck for a moment before turning his attention back to the three children.

"...Close enough," Riley stated with a shrug before turning around toward the others, "Ready!"

Together, the three children skated over to the circle at the center of the rink, met by Tadashi, Honey and Go Go, were also dressed in various bits of hockey gear. Glancing past them, Riley could see Fred standing in front of the other goal, dancing around excitedly in a full set of goalie gear.

"Alright, so how are we going to do this?" Tadashi questioned.

"First to two?" Riley suggested with a shrug, "We usually did first to three back home, but I don't think you guys want to go even that long."

"Sounds good," Go Go replied with a nod before skating up to the center of the circle, "Alright, Fargo. You and me."

Grinning, Riley nodded and skated over to face Go Go.

"So, how does this work?" Go Go asked.

"I'll put the puck here," Riley explained as she placed the puck on the ice between them before placing her stick on one side of it, "And we put our sticks on either side of it. Then we touch our sticks together three times before we go for the puck."

"Got it," Go Go replied with a nod, placing her stick on the opposite side of the puck from Riley. As the girls prepared themselves, the rest of the group crowded around them, tensing up as they prepared for the game to start.

After taking a moment to ready themselves, Riley and Go Go began raising their sticks and tapping together over the puck. After they had done this three times, they both slammed their sticks to the ice and went for the puck. Go Go managed to knock the puck to the side, sending it towards where Honey and Tip were standing. Both went for the puck but ended up losing their balance at the same time, the two girls laughing as they fell to the ice and the puck went skidding past them.

As the puck bounced off of the boards, Hiro wobbled his way over to it. Just as he reached it though, Tadashi skated up and snagged it, using his longer reach to beat his brother to the puck.

"Too slow, little brother!" Tadashi declared with a laugh as he skated away from Hiro, the boy falling as he tried to turn around to give chase. Still laughing, Tadashi skated towards the goal, only to be caught off guard as Riley zipped in front of him. Easily taking the puck from Tadashi, Riley skated around him and sped away, leaving a stunned Tadashi watching her as he glided in the opposite direction.

"Tip!" Riley shouted, catching the other girl's attention as she managed to push herself to her feet. As Tip turned towards Riley, the blonde hit the puck over to her, attempting to pass it. Before it could reach Tip though, Go Go dashed in front of her, snatched the puck away and sped towards the goal. Riley moved to intercept Go Go, but the older girl managed to skate around her before she took a shot on the goal, the puck sliding between Baymax's legs and into the net.

Go Go let out a short cheer as Riley groaned and skated over to the goal.

"I have failed in my appointed duty," Baymax stated as Riley skated up to him.

"Don't worry, big guy," Riley said, patting Baymax on the stomach as she retrieved the puck from the goal, "You'll get it next time."

Baymax watched Riley as she left with the puck before looking down and patting himself on the stomach in the same way she had.

Go Go and Riley faced off again, only this time the girl managed to knock the puck between the young woman's legs before skating around her and retrieving it. Seeing Tadashi closing in on her, Riley passed it over to the open Hiro before dancing around the young man. Hiro managed to get control of the puck before taking a shot at the goal, but Fred proved fast enough to reach up and catch it.

"Haha, I got it!" Fred declared, holding his mitt above his head victoriously.

"Give it here!" Go Go shouted as she began skating around the back of the goal. Nodding, Fred lowered his glove and dropped the puck into Go Go's path, the young woman snatching it up as she sped by.

As Tip moved to try to stop Go Go, the young woman passed the puck over to Honey. After managing to stop the puck in front of her, Honey pulled back her stick to hit it, her tongue sticking out in concentration. Hitting the puck as hard as she could, Honey sent it flying through the air towards the goal, the extra momentum of her swing causing her to fall to the ice again. Baymax made no effort to stop the puck, merely watching it impassively as it slammed into his stomach.

The puck pushed against Baymax's vinyl skin, the substance stretching inwards as the puck powered forward. Eventually, the puck's momentum was spent and Baymax's stomach sprung back into place, sending the puck rocketing across the rink. Fred yelped as the puck shot at him and instinctively ducked out of the way, allowing the puck easy access to the net.

The group sat in stunned silence as they looked over at the goal, Fred turning around to look at the puck lying on the ice before him. After a moment, Riley through her hands above her head and let out a whoop of joy, causing her friends to join in as well. Turning towards Baymax, who was patting his stomach again, she let out another happy cry, prompting the robot to mimic her gesture as he lifted his hands above his head in celebration.

"Alright, game point!" Tadashi declared as the group met at the center of the rink. Go Go and Riley faced off for the last time, the young woman managing to take the puck away from the girl before passing it to Honey. Honey skated on unsteady feet towards the goal before passing it over to Tadashi, but it was intercepted as Hiro dove in front of the puck.

"Too slow, big brother!" Hiro laughed as he slid across the ice before clumsily swatting the puck over to Riley.

Taking the puck, Riley began skating towards the goal, Tip racing alongside her. Seeing Go Go approach her, Riley passed the puck between the young woman's legs as he gracefully spun around her, recollecting the puck as she passed around the brunette, who looked back at the blonde with a stunned expression.

Speeding towards the goal, Riley saw Fred preparing for her, dancing on his skates, ready to move at a moment's notice. Spying Tip coming at the goal from the side, Riley prepared to pass it to her, only for the girl to fall and begin sliding across the ice in a seated position. Riley hesitated for a moment before an idea struck her. Riley hit the puck over towards Tip as she slid across the ice. The girl let out a yelp of surprise as the puck struck her, ricocheting off her bottom towards the goal, sliding past Fred before he could react in time.

Riley let out a cry of triumph as she glided around the goal, Fred looking behind him in shock.

"That went in!?" Tip exclaimed, looking behind her in surprise before throwing her hands in their and whooping with joy, "Yeah! Butt shot!"

Hiro stumbled over towards the girls, shouting in victory, only for Riley to crash into him, hugging the boy as they fell to the ice, quickly joined by Tip as she dogpiled on top of them. Riley lay on the ice, her arms wrapped around her friends, laughing louder than she had in weeks.

 _Later,_

Riley sat on the bleachers next to Hiro and Tip as they ate some of her birthday cake, her opened presents strewn out in front of her.

"You're aunt makes the best cake, Hiro," Tip commented before stuffing another piece into her mouth.

"She's the best baker I know," Hiro confirmed.

"This has been so fun," Riley stated as she set her plate down, beaming at her friends, "Thank you both so much."

"Hey, don't look at me," Tip replied with a grin as she nodded at Hiro, "Like I said before, this was his idea."

"I mean it wasn't all my idea," Hiro said, flushing with embarrassment as he ran a hand through his messy hair, "Tadashi suggested it partially so I could clear my head about my project."

"Is something wrong with the microbots?" Riley questioned, a look of concern on her face.

"I'm just having trouble figuring out the control scheme for them," Hiro explained, "There's so many of them, you can't just use a controller like I do for Megabot. Even a standard computer wouldn't be good enough."

"I see," Riley replied, nodding in understanding, "That does sound tough. I never realized it might be hard to get them to do what you were thinking."

Hiro blinked in surprise.

"...Say that again," Hiro requested, a pensive look on his face.

"I was just saying I didn't realize it would be hard to get the microbots to do what you were thinking," Riley repeated, looking at Hiro in confusion, "Why?"

Hiro's eyes widened in realization as he took a sharp inhale of breath as he dropped his plate onto the seat below him.

"Riley, you're a genius!" Hiro exclaimed, grabbing hold of the girl's shoulders.

"You've told me that before," Riley replied with a laugh, "But I still don't know what I said."

"I can control the microbots with my thoughts!" Hiro declared with a laugh.

"Excuse me?" Tip questioned, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

"There's tech now, for reading a person's brainwaves," Hiro explained, "To tell you the basics of what a person is thinking."

"Okay," Riley replied with a nod, urging Hiro on.

"If I can take that tech and combined it with a transponder I could-" Hiro went on, before stopping as Riley let out an excited gasp.

"You can send your brainwaves to the microbots to tell them what to do!" Riley exclaimed.

"Exactly!" Hiro replied with a laugh.

"Wow," Tip said in amazement, "That's….Wow, that will be incredible."

"I can't wait to get started," Hiro grinned.

"You should get started on it! Right away!" Riley replied, practically bouncing in her seat, "Right now even!"

"Riley….I can't work on it right now," Hiro stated with a bemused smile, "We're at your birthday party."

"Right," Riley replied, her face flushing with embarrassment, "Right, sorry. I….I got caught up in the moment."

"It's alright," Hiro said with amusement.

"I'm just going to….just going to throw these out," Riley mumbled, picking up her and Hiro's discarded plates.

"You don't have to do that," Hiro began to say, a look of concern on his face.

"No, no," Riley replied giving him an awkward smile, "It's okay."

With that, Riley quickly stood up and made her way down the bleachers. Hiro watched her go before sighing and running a hand through his hair.

"Did I say something wrong?" Hiro asked as he turned towards Tip. The girl merely shrugged and popped another piece of cake into her mouth.

"Ugh, why do I have to be so stupid?" Riley quietly berated herself as she walked towards the trash can along the side of the bleachers. As she turned the corner, Riley froze mid step, her face turning white in surprise.

Directly in front of her, up against the bleachers, Tadashi and Honey were embracing one another, clearly kissing. Riley stood stock still, her face turning a bright shade of red as her mind tried to decide what to do. Before Riley could do anything though, the couple took notice of her, breaking apart with small noises of surprise.

"Riley!" Tadashi said breathlessly, "I didn't….Pam and I were…."

"I am so sorry," Riley said quickly, averting her eyes as her face turned completely red, "So, so sorry. I was….I'm just going to…."

"It's alright, relax," Honey reassured her with a giggle as she walked over to Riley, "It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong. You just surprised us is all."

"I'm still really sorry," Riley continued, quickly tossing the plates in the trash, "I didn't….are you guys dating?"

Tadashi smirked and scratched the back of his head while Honey smiled warmly at Riley.

"We are," they said at the same time, causing them both to chuckle.

"Then why…." Riley began to say before rethinking the question, "Is it a secret?"

"No, not really," Tadashi answered with a shake of his head.

"This is just new for us and….we haven't really gotten around to telling people yet," Honey added.

"Oh, okay," Riley replied with a nod, before a thought came to her, "Honey….could I talk to you about something?"

"Of course," Honey replied with a beaming smile.

"This sounds like a girl talk sort of thing," Tadashi stated with a smirk as he began walking away, "I'll go ahead and make myself scarce."

Honey nodded to him, before walking with Riley over to the lowest seats on the bleachers and sitting next to her.

"What can I help you with?" Honey questioned with a friendly smile.

"I just wanted to ask….I mean, obviously you must know….the thing is…." Riley struggled with her words, her face growing red before she sighed in frustration and buried her head in her hands, "What do you do when you like a boy?"

"Aren't you a little young for this?" Honey asked, quirking an eyebrow at Riley.

"I'm old enough!" Riley snapped, shooting a weak glare at Honey as she pulled her hands away from her face.

"Okay, okay," Honey replied with a chuckle, holding her hands up in a placating gesture that seemed to mollify Riley.

"I'm guessing you're not asking about being friends with a boy?" Honey questioned, earning a nod from Riley as she pulled her hands away from her face, "And I'm assuming this boy is Hiro?"

Riley looked up at Honey with wide eyes, her face turning a bright shade of scarlet, earning a shrug from Honey.

"Have you told him that you like him?" Honey questioned.

"No," Riley replied with a shake of her head, "I couldn't! What if he doesn't like me like that? What if he thought it was weird?"

Riley paused as a sad look crossed her face.

"What if he didn't want to be my friend anymore?" Riley went on, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Well, that's a risk, certainly," Honey admitted with a nod, "I was worried about the same thing when I developed feelings for Tadashi. But I don't think you'll have to worry about that."

"Why?" Riley asked in confusion.

"Because I'm fairly certain that Hiro likes you too," Honey answered, smiling at Riley.

"R-Really?" Riley questioned in surprise.

"I think so," Honey confirmed with a nod, "After all, you don't plan something like this for a girl who you want to be just friends with."

Riley didn't say anything for a moment, her cheeks coloring again as she thought over what Honey had said.

"How do I tell him?" Riley asked.

"That's a tough one," Honey admitted with a sigh, "There's no right way to do it. The only advice I have it that it might be better to show him rather than tell him. After all, actions speak louder than words."

Riley mulled the young woman's words over in her head before smiling and nodding.

"Okay," Riley said as she pushed herself to her feet, "Thank you so much for this, Honey."

"Don't worry about it," Honey replied with a smile of her own, standing up and following Riley as they made their way back to the group, "I'm always willing to talk."

Not long afterwards, the group began making their way into the darkening parking lot, preparing to go home as the party came to an end. As the group began to separate, Riley followed Go Go over to her motorcycle.

"So, pretty good party, huh?" Go Go questioned as she fished out her keys.

"The best," Riley answered with a beaming smile, "I wanted to say thank you."

"Why?" Go Go asked, quirking an eyebrow at Riley as they reached her bike, "Hiro's the one who threw you the party. Go thank him."

"I will," Riley confirmed, "But he's not the one who hung out with me all day."

"It's not like he twisted my arm, Fargo," Go Go replied, "It was my pleasure."

Go Go was caught off guard as Riley stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the young woman.

"Thank you," Riley whispered as she hugged Go Go tightly. Go Go blinked down at Riley in surprise for a moment before her face softened and she smiled. Reaching down, Go Go hugged Riley back, the two girls staying like that for a few quiet moments.

"Happy birthday, Riley," Go Go said softly as she pulled back, reaching out and tucking one of the purple strands of hair behind the girl's ear.

"Thanks, Yuri," Riley replied as the young woman grabbed her helmet and put it on.

"Don't mention it," Go Go replied as she straddled her bike and turned on the engine, "See you around."

Riley waved in reply as Go Go gunned the engine and zipped off into the night. Riley watched her for a moment before she began walking over to where her parents were.

As she approached, Riley could see her parents' station wagon parked next to Cass' truck, everyone else having left for the night. As Riley drew closer, she could see her parents chatting with Cass and Lucy while Tip and Hiro leaned against the front of the station wagon.

Riley saw Tip look up at her before punching Hiro in the arm and nodding in the girl's direction. Hiro shot Tip a glare, to which Tip replied with a smirk, before the boy began making his way over to Riley.

"Uh, hey," Hiro greeted Riley awkwardly as he stopped in front of her, a couple of yards away from the parked cars, "Can I, uh, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," Riley answered, suddenly feeling shy, "What's up?"

"Did….Did you enjoy today?" Hiro asked nervously.

"Of course!" Riley replied with a giggle, "It was great. Might have been the best ever."

"That's great!" Hiro replied, sounding more excited than he had intended, quickly reining himself in as Riley giggled, "I mean, great, really happy you enjoyed it."

"Thank you so much for all of this, Hiro," Riley stated before averting her eyes as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Why...Why did you do this?"

"You're….You're my friend, Riley," Hiro answered, running a hand through his messy hair, "I know we've only known each other a couple of weeks, but you're one of my closest friends. I wanted to do this to say thank you, I guess. There have been a couple of jams you've helped me out of, and I really appreciate it."

"You would have been fine without my help," Riley argued.

"Maybe," Hiro answered with a shrug, "But I'm still glad to have had it."

Riley blushed and smiled at Hiro, bringing her eyes back up to meet his. At that moment, Hiro was struck by how pretty she was. From her baby blue eyes to her dirty blonde hair with the new purple streak running through it to the way her smile seemed to light up a room. Even the way her cheeks reddened when she was nervous or embarrassed only seemed to make her prettier to him.

"But, yeah, um…." Hiro mumbled, tearing his eyes away from Riley as he tried to collect his thoughts, "The thing I really wanted to say…."

"Yeah?" Riley urged, smiling hopefully at him, causing Hiro to steel his resolve.

"I like you, Riley," Hiro stated, quietly but firmly.

"I like you too," Riley replied softly, her smile growing.

"No, I don't think you understand," Hiro said with a nervous laugh, "I-"

Before Hiro could say anything more, Riley reached out and grabbed his hand before tugging him towards her. Hiro stumbled a bit, catching himself only a few inches from Riley, allowing her lean forward and kiss Hiro on the cheek. Hiro froze as he felt Riley's lips brush his skin, sending a jolt through his whole body. Then, just as quickly as she had started it, Riley pulled back, keeping Hiro's hand clenched in hers between them.

"I know," she whispered, her smile never fading even as her blush darkened, "I like you too."

"Oh…." Hiro mumbled as realization struck him, "Okay."

Riley snorted and was about to say something when her mother calling her name caught her attention. Looking up, she saw her mother waving her over to the car.

"I got to go," Riley said as she turned back to Hiro, "Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Hiro replied with a dumb nod, "Sure."

"Great!" she exclaimed before yanking Hiro forward again and hugging him, an action the boy instinctively reciprocated. As they pulled apart, Riley left her hands on Hiro's shoulders smiling shyly at him. After a moment's hesitation, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek again.

"Night," she said as she left, releasing his hand before jogging over to the car. Hiro turned and watched her go, waving slightly as Jill bid him good night, though he couldn't help but notice the suspicious glare Bill shot at him as he started up the car. The look was quickly forgotten though as he saw Riley smiling at him as their car drove away.

As he watched her car disappear into the night, Hiro reached up and touched his cheek where Riley had kissed him. He stood there for a few long moments, his grin widening. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Cass honked the horn of her truck and urged him over. Hiro jogged over but the smile never left his face the whole ride home.

A/N: Another fun, lengthy chapter. What can I say, I love writing these characters. Hope you all enjoyed it! Interesting things will be happening next chapters, though I can almost guarantee it won't be what you all think it will be. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	7. Close Encounters

**Chapter 7: Close Encounters**

Bill Andersen wished for the upteenth time that he had shaved that morning. He tried not to appear nervous as he rubbed the stubble on his face before adjusting his blue tie and straightening his black suit jacket. He glanced at his watch quickly before looking over at the pretty, young secretary sitting on the other side of the spacious waiting room. She seemed to feel Bill's gaze, prompting her to look up and flash an apologetic smile at him.

"I'm sorry for the wait, Mr. Andersen," she stated, "I'm sure Mr. Krei will see you in just a moment."

"No problem," Bill stated as he went back to nervously tapping his fingers on the briefcase sitting in his lap. Turning his gaze away from the secretary, Bill looked out the wide windows nearby, observing the large complex from the top floor of the central building, which also provided a good view of the city beyond. Bill sighed as he saw that the sun had already almost completely dipped below the horizon.

The phone on the secretary's desk beeped and she quickly picked it up, making a few noises of affirmation before placing it down again.

"Mr. Krei will see you now," she informed him with a beaming smile.

"Thank you," Bill replied with a nod as he stood up and adjusted his tie. Taking a calming breath, Bill collected himself before walking up to the frosted glass doors that led to the office beyond and opened them.

The office that lay before Bill was possibly the largest he had ever seen that was set aside for a single person. Towering windows occupied most of the other three walls, providing a spectacular view of the surrounding area. A fine, red carpet covered the floor and large, exotic looking plants flanked the doorway Bill had stepped through, the door sliding shut behind him. Bill's eyes drifted from the rich leather couches that surrounded the coffee table made of rare wood that sat at the center of the room to the large mahogany desk across from him.

Sitting behind the desk was a man who looked a few years older than Bill, with quaffed, light brown hair, sharp features and a prominent nose. He wore a blue sports jacket over a crisp, white shirt. He regarded Bill with blue eyes as he entered.

"Mr. Andersen," he greeted with a friendly smile as Bill stepped forward, "Good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Mr. Krei," Bill replied, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

"Please, call me Alistair," Krei stated before indicating towards one of the chairs sitting in front of his desk, "Have a seat, Bill. Can I call you Bill?"

"Uh, sure thing," Bill answered as he walked across the room and sat down in the offered seat.

"Excellent," Alistair replied with a charming smile, "Sorry to keep you waiting. We're utterly swamped here. I'm sure you know what that's like though."

"Yeah, of course," Bill stated as he set his briefcase down next to him, "I was honestly….surprised you wanted to meet with me."

"Well, from what, I understand you had some….concerns about the project," Alistair said as he leaned back in his swiveling chair.

"I….I wouldn't call them concerns, just….questions," Bill replied, "I figured I'd be meeting with the project manager on this. Not….Not the CEO."

"I understand, that must have been a surprise," Alistair said with a laugh, "I've taken a special interest in this project, Bill. That's why I acquired your company. I only hire the best."

"Th-Thank your, sir," Bill replied, caught off guard by the compliment.

"It's Alistair. Sir is even worse than Mr. Krei," he said with a grin, "Now, what questions did you have for me? Everything is running smoothly, I take it?"

"Yes, the Magellan is working fine," Bill reassured him, "Everything is coming along as expected."

"Excellent, what seems to be the problem then?" Alistair asked.

"My engineers were just wondering about the….additions you requested," Bill answered hesitantly.

"Is there something wrong with them?" Alistair questioned as he tensed slightly, "Do they interfere with the rest of the systems?"

"No, we can add them just fine," Bill assured him with a shake of his head, "We were just wondering why a robot built for space exploration….needs a weapons system."

There was a pause, during which Bill noticed Alistair's jaw tighten and he began to desperately think of a way to take his words back. His worries were forgotten though as Alistair let out a chuckle.

"I suppose that's a fair question," Alistair relented with a nod, "Basically, we just want to be prepared for any eventuality. You never know when you'll need to remove an obstacle the old fashioned way."

"Alright," Bill replied, though he didn't seem fully convinced, "I just-"

Before Bill could finish, what sounded like an alarm going off somewhere else in the complex caught both his and Alistair's attention. Alistair's eyes narrowed as he turned his attention towards the noise and began to rise from his seat but stopped when the phone on his desk beeped.

"Yes, I hear them, what's the situation," Alistair said as he picked the receiver up and placed it to his ear before grimace crossed his features, "Well then, get it contained. And I need someone to escort my guest out. You do that."

With that, Alistair practically slammed the receiver back onto its holder, his features a mixture of annoyance and worry. After a moment, he turned his attention back to Bill.

"Is everything alright?" Bill questioned.

"I'm sorry Bill, we seem to be dealing with a….minor emergency at the moment," Alistair explained, "Nothing to worry about, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. For your own safety, you understand."

"Y-Yes, of course," Bill replied, quickly standing up and grabbing his briefcase off of the floor. As he did, two burly men dressed in matching black suits, their eyes obscured by dark sunglasses, entered the office.

"These gentlemen will see you out safely," Alistair stated as he gestured to the men, "Keep up the good work, Bill. I'll talk with you soon."

Bill nodded in reply and allowed himself to be led away by the security guards. The two men led Bill quickly through the building, but even then, he still managed to catch sight of a few things, like employees running around and lights in the hallways that had begun flashing red.

Eventually, the three of them reached the parking garage at the bottom of the building and, after he pointed it out to them, the security guards led Bill over to his car. As they reached it, one of the guards pulled a small flashlight out of his pocket and began shining it through the windows, looking at the blankets and duffle bags that had been left in the back before checking under the car.

"Is everything alright?" Bill asked as he pulled out his car keys and unlocked the car.

"Fine, sir," the other guard said as he opened the door for Bill, "Just standard security check for these kinds of instances."

"Standard?" Bill questioned as he got into his car, "What exactly are you looking for?"

"Have a good night, sir," the guard replied before closing the car door firmly and gesturing for Bill to leave. Bill eyed the guard for a moment before starting his car and driving away. As he exited through the front gate, Bill spared a glance back at the complex with his rearview mirror, the radio tower on top of the central building standing tall over the surrounding area, before turning his attention to the road in front of him, just missing the head that emerged slowly from beneath the blankets in the back, wide eyes watching the Krei Corporation fade behind them.

 _Later,_

Bill sighed as he walked up the stairs to his front door, his suit jacket slung over one shoulder. Night had fallen and Bill could see light flowing out through the windows. Opening the door, he was greeted by the sound of friendly chatter coming from the kitchen.

"So I've got the design down," Bill heard a voice he recognized as Hiro's say, "I'm just working out some problems with the neural transmitter. It isn't picking up brainwaves correctly."

"Sounds tricky," Tip commented.

"Yeah, but if I can figure this out, the rest should be easy," Hiro replied.

"You'll figure it out," Riley said encouragingly and Bill noticed her reaching out to lay a hand on top of Hiro's as he entered the room, finding the three children sitting at the kitchen table, Tip's cat Pig sitting in the girl's lap.

"Evening," he greeted, shooting a look at Hiro and Riley as he entered.

"Dad!" Riley squeaked in surprise, yanking her hand back like she had been burnt, "How was your day?"

"Exhausting," Bill sighed as he placed his briefcase on the floor.

"There are some leftovers in the fridge for you!" Jill called from the living room.

"We should probably get going," Tip stated, nodding towards Hiro as she talked, "I have to go finish my homework and I'm sure boy genius has some things he needs to tinker with."

"Riley, since your friends are leaving, could you take out the trash?" Jill asked as Hiro and Tip got up to leave, Pig hopping off the girl's lap and onto the floor.

"Sure thing, Mom!" Riley replied, standing up, pulling the full trash bag out of the waste basket and tying it closed before she followed her friends out the door as they bid her parents good night.

"Did you want me to walk over with you to the dumpster?" Hiro suggested as they made their way down the stairs.

"Why would she need you to do that?" Tip questioned, quirking an eyebrow at Hiro as they stepped onto the sidewalk, Pig by her side.

"I was just…." Hiro tried to say, his face flushing with embarrassment as he tried to explain himself, "She….I wanted to…."

"It's okay, Hiro, I understand," Riley stated, reaching out and taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze to calm him, "But it's alright, I'll be fine. I'm not scared of some dark alleyway."

"O-Okay," Hiro replied with a dejected tone, "I understand."

"But," Riley added, her expression turning shy as she continued to hold Hiro's hand, "I wouldn't mind the company."

Hiro smiled at this while Tip rolled her eyes.

"Look if you two are going to make out by the dumpster, then whatever," Tip commented, causing Hiro and Riley to blush furiously, "But I'm going to go home so that I can…."

Tip trailed off as she looked past Hiro and Riley with a confused expression.

"Did your dad leave his trunk open?" Tip questioned.

Turning around, Riley and Hiro saw that the rear door of her father's station wagon was standing wide open.

"That's weird," Riley muttered as she walked over to the car, "It didn't look like he took anything out of the trunk."

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the alleyway nearby, causing the three to jump in surprise, their hearts leaping into their throats. As they spun around to look at the alley, Pig let out a hiss, arching his back and baring his teeth before he went racing into the alley with a yowl.

"Pig, wait!" Tip cried but was too slow to stop the cat as he disappeared down the alley.

"What was that?" Hiro questioned as he looked back at Riley.

"I don't know," Riley replied, before she reached into the car and pulled out a hockey stick sitting in the truck, "You still want to take that walk with me?"

Hiro nodded in reply before shooting a glance at Tip, who nodded as well. Together, the three of them walked over to the alley and peered down it. The alley was a narrow one that ran between two houses, illuminated by light filtering out of the surrounding windows. An open dumpster sat halfway down the alley, surrounded by empty boxes and metal trash cans, one of which lay on its side, its contents spilled onto the ground. No movement could be seen and no sound could be heard.

"Pig?" Tip whispered as the three children began making their way down the alley, Riley holding her hockey stick above her head, "Pig, where are you?"

As if to answer, a loud yowl pierced the silence, followed by a crash and a frightened scream. As they watched, something came stumbling into sight, desperately struggling with the calico cat that was assaulting its face. In its struggles, the thing ended up rolling atop one of the boxes before it finally managed to wrench Pig off of its face and toss him aside, the cat landing on his feet a short distance away. Huffing and puffing, the thing turned to face the children and they got their first good look at it.

The thing standing before them reminded the children of a person mixed with an octopus or a squid and was short, only standing four feet tall at best. Its skin was purple and completely hairless with an oily sheen to it while its head was flat and disproportionately large compared to the rest of its body. In addition, the creature seemed to have no neck or shoulders to speak of, its head flowing into its cylindrical torso while a pair of tentacle-like arms hung at its sides, ending in hands with four long fingers each. Instead of feet, six short pseudopods allowed the creature to stand. A tendril sat coiled on either side of the creature's head and its wide mouth possessed a few large, square teeth. The creature wore a single piece of clothing, a blue colored wrap made out some sort of synthetic material, lined in purple and held closed over its midsection by a large, purple clasp with a swirl design on it. The creature regarded the trio with large, blue, human-like eyes and stood stock still as they stared at it.

After a moment of complete silence, the children let out screams, prompting the creature to scream as well, its skin turning a bright shade of yellow as it did. Stepping forward, Tip shoved the creature hard in the chest, knocking it off balance and sending it tumbling into the open dumpster. Racing up to the dumpster, Hiro quickly slammed it shut before Riley dropped the trash bag and laced her hockey stick between the handles of the lid, preventing it from being opened.

The three quickly backed away from the dumpster, watching it fear while Pig continued to hiss at it. After a moment, the trio heard a groan and movement inside the dumpster before the lid moved, held shut by the hockey stick. There was a sound of confusion and the lid moved again, still to no avail. Sounds of panic came from the dumpster then, accompanied by the creature inside banging against the lid in a vain attempt to escape. After a moment, the noises ceased and the lid opened enough for a pair of blue eyes to hesitantly peek out.

"G-Greetings," the creature said, the trio able to make out a frightened smile spreading across its features.

The children stared at the creature in shock.

"Did that thing just talk?" Riley questioned after a moment.

"Yes!" the creature said happily, "I is quite capable of vocal communications!"

"How is it speaking English?" Tip asked hesitantly.

"I has learned your clumsy human tongue," the creature explained, "Can I come into the out now?"

"No, you cannot come into the out now," Tip stated pointedly.

"But I cans, you are only needing to remove the piece of wood," the creature explained as it pointed at the hockey stick holding the lid shut.

"Yeah, we're not going to do that," Hiro stated, "We don't even know what you are."

"Oh, that is simple, I is Boov," the creature explained with a large grin.

"Boov?" Tip questioned in confusion.

"Yes," the creature confirmed with a nod of his head.

"...What the hell is a Boov?" Riley asked.

"I is forgetting humans are not all knowing the Boov," the Boov stated with a chuckle, "Boov is best species."

"Best at what?" Hiro questioned.

"Best at running away and groveling mostly," the Boov answered with a shrug, "Boov are also best at deciding what is and is not useful. Can I be coming into the out now?"

"No," the three replied in unison.

"Well then, I will have to….have to…." the Boov pondered before his eyes lit up, "I will have to shoot forth the lasers from my eyeballs!"

There was a pause as the trio regarded Oh questioningly.

"You can….do that?" Riley asked after a moment.

"...Yes," the Boov replied meekly as he turned a bright shade of green.

"Well, if you shoot your eye lasers then we'll have no choice but to explode your head," Tip stated with a snort, crossing her arms over her chest as she spoke.

"Humans…." the Boov began to reply hesitantly, "Humans cannot to explode…."

"We can too," Tip argued, "We just don't do it much."

"It's considered rude," Hiro added with a smirk.

"Then….Then I am granting you all a truth," the Boov replied nervously, "You are not exploding my head and I am not do my devastating eye lasers."

"Okay," Riley answered with a nod, "Truths."

"May I come into the out now?" the Boov pleaded.

"No, we can't let you out until we figure out what's going on," Hiro argued, before sighing, "Okay so, what's your name?"

"I am called Oh by my many friends," the Boov said proudly.

"Oh?" Tip questioned, arching an eyebrow as she glanced at the others, Hiro offering a shrug in reply.

"Well, I'm Riley Andersen," Riley introduced herself before motioning to her friends, "And these are my friends, Gratuity Tucci and Hiro Hamada."

"So, you're a….a Boov," Hiro spoke up, "That's like, some sort of alien, right?"

"This is your word for species not coming from your planet?" Oh questioned, earning nods from the trio, "Then yes, Boov are being the aliens."

"Okay, you're an alien," Hiro surmised, "Why are you on our planet?"

"I did not choosing to be on Earth," Oh explained, "It was….on an accident."

"Okay," Tip replied, a pensive look on her face, "Why are you here, in this alley?"

"I am the hiding," Oh explained.

"Hiding from what?" Riley asked.

"The other humans," Oh elaborated, "The ones who ask the questions."

"Ask the questions?" Hiro inquired, "Were you being interrogated?"

"No, but I was taken prisoner and asked many of the pointing questions," Oh answered.

Hiro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"How did you get away?" Tip questioned.

"Humans are simple and not knowing much of the Boov," Oh explained, grinning pridefully, "Boov are best at escaping and I hid in one of your land vehicles which brought me here."

"Land vehicle…." Riley began to say when realization struck her, "You were in my dad's car, weren't you?"

"This is what I has said, but I do not knows this Mydad," Oh replied.

"Where was your dad coming from?" Hiro questioned.

"He had a meeting at Krei Industries," Riley answered, realization dawning on her face.

"But why was this thing at Krei Industries?" Tip asked, "Why would they want to hold some alien hostage?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Hiro asked, "I mean, you guys know why San Fransokyo is the robot capital of the world right? Instead of like, Metroville?"

"The Battle in the Bay," Riley answered with a look of understanding on her face.

"Exactly," Hiro stated, "The last time alien technology fell into the city's lap, Krei Industries rode the resulting wave all the way to the top. I'm betting they'd do anything to get some more all to themselves."

"What should we do?" Tip questioned, looking lost, "Should we tell our parents about him?"

"And then what?" Hiro questioned in turn, "What if they turn him over to be experimented on? I've heard stuff about this Krei guy. Not a lot of it's good."

"So what, we leave him here?" Tip asked, incredulously.

"Of course not," Hiro argued, "We could….we could hide him."

"Why?" Tip questioned, growing agitated, "For all we know, Krei Industries had him locked up for a good reason. For all we know, he'll try to eat us in our sleep."

"That is a very silly thing to say," Oh spoke up with an amused chuckle, "We Boov has very flat teeth, not at all good for-"

"Shut up," Tip snapped as she shot a glare at Oh, cowing the Boov into silence, before turning her attention back to Hiro, "Why do you want to help him anyway?"

"I don't know what I want to do," Hiro admitted as he ran a hand through his hair, "But look at him. He doesn't look dangerous. I think I could beat him up."

"Yeah, and that could be a trick to lure you into a false sense of security," Tip pointed out, "From what Riley tells me, you know a thing or two about that, hustler."

Hiro sighed and offered no argument, turning his attention to Riley, who was watching Oh with a pensive look on her face.

"What about you, Riley," Hiro spoke up, bringing the girl's attention to him, "What do you think we should do?"

"You could let me into the out," Oh suggested, a worried look on his face, "I do not want to be an experiment."

"Shush," Riley said narrowing her eyes at Oh before turning back to her friends and sighing, "I'm not sure what to think I-"

"Please," she heard Oh plead, his voice barely above a whisper. Looking back at Oh, Riley saw him regarding her with wide, frightened eyes.

"You're afraid," Riley observed, earning a nod from Oh, "You're afraid of Krei?"

"No, I has not fear for humans," Oh answered, "I has fear they will send me back."

"Send you back?" Riley asked in confusion, "Send you back where?"

"Home," Oh whispered, "I has no wish to go home."

"Why don't you want to go home?" Riley questioned in confusion.

"Please," was all Oh would say. Riley looked like she wanted to say something else, but suddenly someone appeared at the end of the alley.

"Riley?" Jill's voice drifted down the alley, causing the three children to jump in alarm.

"Mom!" Riley said in surprise as she spun around to face her mother, "What are you doing here?"

"I was getting worried, you've been out here for a while now," Jill said as she stepped into the alley, not noticing the dumpster lid slowly closing, "I thought I heard screams a few minutes ago too."

"Sorry Mom, I…." Riley paused, glancing over at the dumpster, seeing Oh's blue eyes silently pleading with her, "I got distracted talking to my friends."

"Yeah, and Pig snuck up on us, gave us a fright," Tip added as she scooped the cat up, the calico still glaring at the dumpster with his tail raised.

"Alright, well, you should come in now," Jill chided gently as she turned to go, "It is a school night."

"Okay, right behind you," Riley said as she began to follow her mother. As she went she turned back to Tip and Hiro, nodding at the dumpster. They nodded in reply, and Riley smiled nervously and waved to them before following her mother into the house.

There was a silence as Tip and Hiro regarded one another for a moment before Oh slowly lifted the dumpster lid and looked out again.

"May I come into the out now?" Oh questioned hopefully.

"Yeah, sure," Hiro replied with a sigh as he walked over to the dumpster, removed the hockey stick and opened the lid, allowing Oh to crawl out.

"Oh thanks to you very much," Oh said graciously as he brushed himself off.

"Don't thank us yet," Hiro replied as he set the hockey stick against a wall, "I don't think any of us are sure this isn't a mistake."

"What should we do with him?" Tip questioned.

"Well, we can't just leave him here. He'll have to stay with one of us until we figure this out," Hiro answered as Oh walked up next to them, "My place is probably best. I can hide him in the garage."

"Aren't you worried about your family finding out?" Tip questioned as she pet the agitated Pig, "I'm still not sure we shouldn't tell someone."

"I know, but I feel like we should figure things out first," Hiro answered as Oh wandered over to the overturned trash can and began looking through it, "Aunt Cass has never handled surprises very well. Besides, she almost never goes into the garage, so it shouldn't be hard to hide him there."

"But what about Tadashi?" Tip questioned as Oh leaned down and peered inside the trash can.

"Yeah….Tadashi might find out," Hiro sighed as he ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Maybe we should tell him then," Tip suggested, "Tadashi is pretty good about figuring out what to do in situations like this."

"You're right," Hiro agreed with a nod, "Tadashi will know what to do. I don't think he's home tonight. I'll have to tell him the next chance I get."

Glancing out the alley, Tip sighed.

"I should get going before my mom comes looking for me," Tip stated as she began making her way out of the alley, "Good luck, boy genius."

"Thanks," Hiro replied, watching as Tip exited the alley and disappeared around the corner. Glancing to the side, he arched an eyebrow as he saw Oh had almost crawled completely inside the trash can.

"What are you doing?" Hiro questioned.

"You humans has no idea of what is useful and what is not," Oh explained as he pulled himself out of the trash can and held a rotten banana peel up for Hiro to see, "You has thrown away perfectly good food."

With that, Oh tossed the banana peel into his mouth and began chewing happily on it, Hiro making a disgusted face in response.

"Well, if you're done eating out of the garbage, I need to get you to my house," Hiro explained as he shook his head at Oh, "Follow me and keep quiet."

"Do not has worries, Hiro Hamada," Oh stated as he began to follow Hiro out of the alley, "Boov are best species at keeping quiet."

After sneaking through allies and around dark corners, Hiro and Oh made it to the Lucky Cat Cafe, the boy having to shush the Boov multiple times on their trip. Sneaking up the driveway, Hiro opened the garage door and ushered Oh inside.

"What is being this place?" Oh questioned as he looked around.

"It's my garage and workshop," Hiro explained, "You'll be staying here until we figure everything out."

"It is not best workingshop," Oh observed, oblivious to Hiro narrowing his eyes at the Boov, "But it will be most excellent hiding place."

Hiro narrowed his eyes further as he watched Oh walk over to one of his workbenches and reach for something on it.

"Don't touch that," Hiro snapped.

Oh jerked his hand back from the item he was reaching for. The device resembled a metal headband with exposed circuits and blinking lights.

"What is this device?" Oh questioned, his eyes wide with fascination.

"It's a neural transmitter," Hiro explained with a tired sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he talked, "It reads brainwaves and transmits them as an electronic signal."

"It dooz not appear functional," Oh observed.

"It's a work in progress," Hiro informed him as he made his way towards the door leading to the house, "Look, it's been a long day and I'm going to bed. Just make sure nobody sees you in here. Hide if you hear anyone coming and don't come out unless you know it's me or one of the girls."

"I understands" Oh said, smiling genuinely at the boy, causing to pause and look at the Boov, "Thank you for your assistance, Hiro Hamada."

"Yeah, well, don't thank me yet. We still need to figure out if this will bite us on the ass or not," Hiro replied as he opened the door and stepped through, "Then you can find someway to thank me."

With that, Hiro walked out of the garage and closed the door behind him, leaving Oh alone. Oh looked at the door for a moment before turning his attention back to the neural transmitter, a smile spreading across his face.

"I believes I have already found a means of thanks," Oh stated before walking over to the workbench and picking the neural transmitter up.

A/N: Another week, another chapter. It was a lot of fun introducing Oh and I'm interested in seeing what you guys thought. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	8. Outside, Looking In

**Chapter 8: Outside, Looking In**

"So, you haven't told your brother yet, huh?" Riley questioned as she slid across the garage on one of the wheeled chairs to where her friends were. Hiro and Tip were currently sitting next to each other on the couch, which they had turned to face a television they had set up. Game controllers were clutched in their hands and their eyes were focused on the flashing lights produced by the video game they were playing. Oh, for his part, was next to them, trying to figure out how to work the beanbag chair.

"I….I haven't really had the time," Hiro replied with a sigh and a shrug.

"Haven't you been, like, sitting in here doing nothing all day?" Tip questioned, somehow arching an eyebrow at Hiro despite her focus being entirely on the game in front of her.

"I was working on my microbot design," Hiro argued defensively, glancing away from the game to shoot Tip a glare, "Besides, Tadashi has classes all day and the fact we have an alien living in our garage isn't exactly-ugh."

Hiro growled in frustration and hung his head while Tip rolled her eyes and threw her hands up into the air as the game over screen flashed in front of them.

"Man, we're never going to beat this level," Hiro groaned.

"Not with you driving the Puma, we're not," Tip stated as she looked over at Hiro.

"You want to try?" Hiro questioned with a hint of annoyance.

"I'd love too," Tip replied with a fake smile as Riley giggled behind her.

"Be my guest," Hiro stated as they restarted the game. After a few moments, Hiro's eyes widened in surprise as Tip's brow furrowed in concentration.

"Wow," Hiro said in surprise, "You're really good at this."

"I know," Tip replied with a smirk.

"You practice this a lot?" Hiro questioned.

"Not really," Tip answered with a shrug, "I've always been pretty good at driving, in video games and in real life."

"You've driven a real car?" Riley questioned in surprise.

"A bit, back in Barbatos," Tip explained, her eyes never leaving the screen in front of her, "My mom says I'm a natural. The only problem I really had was reaching the pedals."

Riley chuckled in amusement as Oh finally managed to find a comfortable position in the beanbag chair. Watching the screen, Oh narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"What is the purpose of this activity?" Oh inquired.

"It's a game," Hiro explained, "We have to….um….kill the aliens."

"What is the….purpose of this?" Oh asked nervously.

"Fun, mostly," Tip answered with an indifferent shrug, "And practice."

Slowly, Tip glanced over at Oh, her green eyes meeting his blue.

"The little ones remind me of you," Tip stated with a monotone voice as the futuristic jeep she was driving slammed into one of the aliens in questions, the creature screaming shrilly as it died. Oh shuddered and turned a bright shade of yellow.

Riley rolled her eyes at her friend before turning in the chair to look around the garage. As she did, her eyes fell on the neural transmitter sitting on a nearby workbench, its wires fully encased by metal plating while a band arched across the diameter of the device, looking like it helped secure the device to the wearer's head. Riley could see a few nodes sticking out towards the center of the device and a red light protruded from what she assumed was the front.

"Hey, is this the transmitter thing?" Riley questioned as she rolled over to the workbench.

"Yeah," Hiro replied, not looking away from the video game.

"Wow, you have been busy today," Riley commented as she gently picked the transmitter up, "It looks finished."

"Yeah, I…." Hiro began to say before trailing off as he blinked in confusion, "Finished? What do you-"

Hiro froze in terror as he looked over at Riley, watching as she began lowering the transmitter on to her head. A transmitter that looked wholly different to the one he had seen the night before.

"Riley, wait!" Hiro shouted as she jumped to his feet, his controller clattering to the ground. His warning came too late though as Riley finished placing the transmitter on her head as she looked over at Hiro. Their eyes met for a moment as the red light on the transmitter glowed brightly before Riley's face turned expressionless and her eyes became unfocused. A moment later, Riley's whole body went limp, her head hanging over the back of the chair.

"Riley!" Hiro shouted in a panic, Tip gasping in shock as she dropped her controller to the ground. Turning his attention towards Oh, Hiro's panicked expression turned to one of fury as he reached down and grabbed the Boov by the front of his clothes, finding the alien surprisingly light as he hauled him out of the beanbag chair.

"What did you do to the transmitter!?" Hiro demanded, shaking Oh for good measure.

"I-I improved its," Oh explained with a panicked voice, "I dooz it to show my gratitude. It should work much betters now!"

"Do you call that working better!?" Hiro shouted as he pointed at Riley sitting comatose in the chair.

"It-It wasn't supposed to work like that!" Oh replied, prompting Hiro to throw him back into the beanbag chair in disgust before rushing over to Riley.

"Riley! Can you hear me!?" Hiro called as he shook the girl by the shoulders in an attempt to wake her, "Riley!"

Looking at the transmitter, Hiro quickly reached for it to pull it off Riley's head. As his fingers made contact with the metal of the transmitter though, Hiro felt a rush of electricity run up his arms. Hiro shook as his muscles contracted painfully, tiny bolts of electricity dancing across his arms, burning his skin and singeing his sleeves. Abruptly, Hiro was knocked away from Riley in a shower of sparks, flying through the air before crashing onto the couch.

"Hiro!" Tip screamed as she ran over to the boy, only to find him unconscious. Spinning around Tip grabbed Oh and hauled him into the air as she shook him violently.

"What do we do!?" Tip demanded, panic and anger filling her voice, "What do we do!?"

 _Meanwhile,_

Riley had no idea where she was.

One moment she had been sitting in Hiro's garage, placing the neural transmitter on her head. The next, she was floating in a black abyss of nothing.

Well, not nothing, she realized, as she felt herself laying against something hard and smooth. Was she on the floor? The next moment Riley realized it was dark because her eyes were closed, a dim light filtering in through her eyelids. As things became clearer, Riley began to hear voices as people conversed around her.

"What do we do!?" a panicked, male voice questioned frantically, "What do we do!?"

"I don't know," a female voice replied, "I didn't even think something like this could happen."

"I don't think anything like this has happened before," a second, morose, female voice stated, "The manuals don't say anything about it."

"What do we do with her?" a third, female voice questioned, "We can't just leave her laying on the dirty floor."

"Yeah, sure, let's just drag her outside then," a gruff, male voice replied sarcastically, "That's a great idea."

"That's not what I was-" the third female began to say sharply before trailing off as Riley's eyes began to flutter open.

"What happened?" Riley questioned, grabbing hold of her head as she realized it was throbbing, using the other to shield her eyes from the light above her as they adjusted, "What's going-"

Riley froze as her vision cleared and she found herself surrounded by five strangers. They didn't look like anyone she knew. They didn't even look human. They're bodies were humanoid, but their features were exaggerated and expressive, and they each had bright, unnaturally colored skin, making them all look like cartoon characters. Her eyes widening and her heart beating faster, Riley took a moment to get a better look at each of the individuals.

One was a young woman, or at least Riley thought she resembled a young woman. She stood roughly as tall as Riley, making her the tallest of the five, with a slim build. Her skin was yellow in color and her hair was a sky blue that matched her wide eyes. She wore a light green, sleeveless summer dress decorated with light blue flowers and her short hair was pulled back into an even shorter ponytail. Her feet were bare and a light blue aura seemed to surround her.

The second female was shorter and stouter than the first with a rounded face. Her skin was blue while her shoulder-length hair and eyes were sapphire in color. She wore a thick, off-white, turtleneck sweater along with navy blue pants. Her tiny feet were covered with black slippers and she wore round, thick-rimmed, dark purple glasses.

The third female stood slightly taller than the second with a slender build. Her skin was a light shade of green while her eyes were emerald in color with comically long eyelashes. Her hair was styled and hung just above her shoulders, a deep green in color except for the streaks of purple that seemed to mirror the ones in Riley's own hair. She wore, a spring green, floral-printed dress along with a stylish, mint green belt and forest green tights. A purple ascot was tied around her neck at an angle and a matching pair of ballet flats covered her dainty feet. Her features were lightly touched up with lipstick, eyeshadow and blush, all pink in color.

The first male was tall and lanky, looking like he could be knocked over by a stiff breeze. His skin was lavender in color and his head was as comically skinny as the rest of his body, with large, bulging, purple eyes topped by thick, black eyebrows. A long, skinny nose extended from his face while his hair seemed to consist of a single, long, black hair that curled in on itself a few inches above his head. He wore a tan and black checkered sweater vest over a powder blue, button-up shirt along with dark purple pants. A magenta bow tie was wrapped around his neck and black, leather shoes covered his feet.

The second male was the shortest of them all, barely coming up to the first female's waist. His skin was a bright red in color and he possessed a blocky physique with a flat, bald head and crimson eyes. He wore a white, collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a tie with a red and grey zigzag design hanging from his neck. Along with the shirt he wore a pair of dark grey shoes and burgundy slacks held up by a brown belt.

There was a silence as Riley stared up at the five strange beings while they stared right back at her, all six of them wearing matching expressions of surprise. Then, the silence was broken as Riley let out a scream. The five beings jumped back in surprise, the tall male letting out a shriek even higher pitched than Riley's and jumping into the other male's arms. Scrambling away across the floor, Riley managed to get her feet under her and stood up as she quickly took in her surroundings, briefly noting the second male dropping the first unceremoniously to the ground.

Riley was in a single, large room made of a substance that resembled linoleum, but was warm to the touch and grey in color, looking darker due to the dim lighting of the room. The architecture of the room was smooth and rounded with no sharp corners to be seen, the vaulted ceiling looming above. One wall was dominated by a large, oval screen, television static dancing across it. A large control panel was set up facing the wall, long enough for multiple people to use and covered in dozens of brightly colored buttons, switches and levers. The wall directly across from this was occupied completely by large windows through which Riley could only see a cloudy night sky. At the center of the room, some sort of panel lay in the floor, multiple lines of bright yellow light running from it to the windows. Directly across from Riley was a wall covered in shelves occupied by large glass balls that glowed yellow, green, blue, red and purple as well as a few mixtures of two or more of the colors. The wall behind Riley was occupied with bookshelves filled with what looked like manuals as well as what looked like computer chips and light bulbs. A doorway in the same wall led somewhere Riley couldn't see.

"W-Where….Where am I?" Riley demanded, pressing her back against the wall as she looked around wildly, "What am I doing here? Who are you people?"

"Okay, Riley," the yellow woman said gently as she cautiously approached the girl, "It's alright. It's….we're not going to hurt you."

"How do you know my name!?" Riley demanded, growing more agitated, "Who are you!?"

"I'm….I'm Joy," the woman answered with a smile, "And I….well, I've known you your whole life."

"What….What are you talking about?" Riley asked in confusion, "I've never met you before."

"That's true," Joy agreed with a chuckle, "And I don't think you were ever supposed to."

"What….What are you talking about?" Riley asked in confusion, "W-Where am I?"

"Riley you're…." Joy paused as she mulled over her words, "You're inside your own head."

"...What?" Riley questioned, twice as bewildered as before.

"This, all of this," Joy explained, motioning around at the room before pointing at her head, "Is in here."

"What are you talking about?" Riley inquired, looking at Joy like she had grown a second head, "I'm not stupid. I've gone to school, I know what a brain looks like. This is not a brain."

"It….It's a little more complicated than that," Joy answered, holding up her thumb and forefinger for emphasis.

"Then explain it to me," Riley insited.

"I….I can't," Joy admitted nervously.

"What do you mean you can't?" Riley questioned, her confusion giving way to annoyance.

"Well, you know how you know how a computer works but you really don't know how it actually works?" Joy questioned, earning a nod from Riley, "Well, it's kind of like that."

"This is stupid," Riley growled, "I'm not in my own head. The last thing I remember-"

"Is putting on the neural transmitter," Joy finished for her.

Riley's eyes widened in shock.

"How….How did you know that?" Riley questioned.

"Because I saw it," Joy answered indicating towards the static-filled screen, "On the screen."

Riley didn't say anything in reply, so Joy turned away and jogged over to the other wall before taking one of the orbs off the shelves. Walking back, she held it out to Riley, showing its purple color to her.

"Here, look, this is a memory," Joy explained, "It was the last one to come in before everything went crazy."

Joy moved to hand the orb to Riley but the girl shied away causing the woman to pause. Joy thought her options over for a second before placing the orb on the ground and rolling it over to Riley. As it reached her, Riley stopped the orb with her foot before hesitantly reaching down and picking it up, her eyes focused on the others as she did.

As she stood back up, Riley looked down at the orb and was shocked to see the image of herself putting on the neural transmitter before going limp in her chair.

"W-What is this?" Riley gasped in shock as she dropped the orb, sending it rolling across the floor, "How did-"

"It's like I said," Joy replied with a soothing voice, "It's a memory. We create and collect them here. In your head."

Riley seemed to think over everything Joy said to her for a moment, the girl calming slightly.

"O-Okay," Riley choked out, "Say I believe you. How did I get here? Did the transmitter do this?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Joy stated with a helpless shrug, "It makes sense though. When you put it on, everything shut down. When the lights came back on, you were laying on the floor where we found you."

"So, what is all this for, anyway?" Riley questioned as she looked around again, "What do you do here?"

"Well, like I said, I'm Joy," the woman stated with a smile, "Specifically, I'm your Joy, Riley."

"My….Joy?" Riley questioned, "Like the emotion?"

"That's me," Joy replied cheerfully.

"And the rest of them?" Riley questioned, glancing at the other four standing a short distance away.

"Your other emotions," Joy explained, turning and pointing to them individually, "Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear, to be specific."

Riley looked over at the emotions, who were watching her wearily. After a moment, the blue woman, Sadness, gave her a small wave. Smiling, Joy waved them over, prompting the emotions to gather around Riley.

"Alright," Riley said, running a hand through her hair and letting out a shaky breath, "So you guys are….my emotions. And you do what in here?"

"We run things basically," Disgust spoke up with a shrug of her shoulders, a snooty tone to her voice that Riley felt was always present.

"You….control me?" Riley asked in shock.

"No," Sadness replied, her voice morose, "That's your Conscience Core underneath Headquarters, which houses your logic and free will. That's basically what you are. Normally, at least. We just offer ideas."

Riley blinked at her in surprise.

"I've read all the manuals," Sadness explained, glancing at the shelves of books.

"Do all people have set ups like this?" Riley questioned.

"We think so," Joy answered with a shrug, "More or less. We can't read other people's minds after all."

"I don't get it," Riley said with a sigh, "If we have all these doctors and stuff examining brains. How have they never found any of this before?"

"It's kind of a metaphysical thing," Sadness answered with a shrug, "It goes beyond just biology. It's kind of hard to wrap your head around."

Joy and Riley both snorted in amusement at Sadness' unintentional pun causing them both to giggle and smile at each other.

"So, since you guys don't know how I got here, I take it you don't know how to get me back out?" Riley asked.

"Not a clue," Anger confirmed with a shrug.

"I'm sure it will wear off or someone will take the doohickey off your head and everything will be fine," Joy reassured her.

"Or you'll never get out and be trapped in a permanent vegetative state for the rest of your life," Sadness added.

"Or that," Joy agreed, visibly irritated at the other emotion.

"Oh, I knew we shouldn't have put on the transmitter," Fear moaned, "We've seen sci-fi movies. We've read comic books. Experimental technology always leads to stuff like this!"

"I don't get it though," Riley spoke up, "It's not experimental. Hiro was using known tech. He was just reworking it. But I doubt anything like this ever happened before."

"Unless he's not the one who built it," Fear gasped.

"Oh," Riley stated, her eyes wide with realization.

"The alien!" Anger growled, and Riley noticed the air above his head shimmering with heat.

"He must have added his own tech to it!" Fear cried, "Oh, I knew we shouldn't have trusted him!"

"Oh man, he's probably sucking your brain out through your ears right now!" Disgusted shrieked, making a face that reflected her name.

"We're going to die!" Sadness wailed as she buried her face into her hands.

"Guys! Guys!" Joy shouted, waving her hands around to get the other emotions' attentions, "We're not going to die. If Oh was going to do something, I'm sure he would have done it by now, right?"

The others calmed as they considered Joy's words.

"I guess you're right," Disgust relented with a hint of embarrassment.

"Besides, Hiro's there," Joy added with a knowing grin, "Do you think he'd let anything bad happen to us?"

The other emotions quickly agreed with Joy's sentiment, earning a bemused smile from Riley.

"You guys seem like big fans of his," Riley observed with a chuckle.

"And you're not?" Joy grinned as she turned back to Riley, who had the decency to blush and avert her gaze, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she did so.

"Yeah, uh huh, I thought so," Joy said as she pranced over and poked Riley playfully in the side, "You are, because he's awesome."

"And cute," Disgust added, causing Riley to blush brighter.

"I should have figured you guys would approve," Riley stated as she looked away from her emotions.

"Well, duh, how could we not?" Joy teased, "Did you see that birthday party he threw for us?"

"Or when he stood up to that police guard in jail?" Fear added.

"Plus, he really likes all our ideas," Sadness added with a small smile that Riley found adorable.

"He's pretty great," Anger agreed.

"And cute," Disgust added for a second time.

"We've had a lot of big things happening around here because of him," Joy stated with a grin.

"What do you mean?" Riley questioned.

"Well, it doesn't seem like you're going anywhere for a little while," Joy observed before taking Riley's hand, "Why don't I show you?"

Without waiting for an answer, Joy reached down and took Riley's hand before dragging her over to the windows. As she reached the windows, Riley gasped at what she saw, resting her hands against the glass for support. The room she was in, Headquarters as the emotions had called it, was actually at the top of an enormously tall tower made out of the same material as the rest of the room. The tower stood at the center of a large pit which Riley could not see the bottom of. Across the chasm, Riley could see numerous structures, from what looked like a movie studio to a maze of giant shelves, all connected by a train, with a great desert carrying on to the horizon past them. What caught her attention though were the seven towering structures that stood between Headquarters and solid ground, looming out of the pit like the building she was in, but not as tall, each connected to it by a long cable.

"What are those?" Riley questioned, indicating towards the structures.

"Those are your Islands of Personality," Joy explained, "They're the central aspects of your personality. They make you, you."

"Wow," Riley said with a grin, "What do you represent?"

"That one," Joy said, pointing towards the central island, "is Family Island. It represents how important your family is to you."

Riley smiled as she looked at the structure, dominated by a statue of a mother and father hugging a young girl, though Riley could see other images she associated with her family, like the family car, the trampoline they had back in Minnesota and their new house in the shadow of the Toji Gate Bridge.

"Next to it, you'll see Friendship Island," Joy went on, pointing to the island to Family's right, "That one represents how important your friends are to you."

"They recently put in a section for friendly disagreements," Anger added.

Riley's grin widen as she looked at the island, dominated by the image of two girls smiling at each but also covered in hearts, rainbows and other friendly imagery.

"After that, we have Honesty Island," Joy stated, pointing to the island to Family's left, "That one shows your integrity and desire to do the right thing."

Honesty Island was dominated by what looked like a Greco-Roman temple on top of a high hill, though Riley also noticed other imagery that brought ideas of honor and justice to her mind.

"After that we have Goofball Island," Joy explained, "That one is your fun-loving and silly side."

Riley giggled at the island, covered in flashing lights and zany images, including a large, animatronic sign depicting a clown head getting bonked on the head by a hammer.

"And over here is Hockey Island," Joy continued, "That's, as you may have guessed, is the side of you that loves hockey."

Riley followed Joy's gaze to the snowcapped island that had a hockey rink shadowed by a large trophy and hockey stick rising above it.

"And that brings us to our newest additions," Joy announced.

"How new?" Riley questioned as she looked over at Joy.

"They formed after we came to San Fransokyo," Joy answered with a grin, before indicating towards one of them, "First, we have what we've taken to calling Idol Island."

Looking to where Joyce was pointing, Riley could see an island that was largely purple in color. A statue of what Riley recognized as a nine-tailed fox loomed over the island, a smaller statue of a young woman straddling a motorcycle.

"Is that….Go Go?" Riley questioned in surprise.

"Well, of course it is, who else would it be?" Disgust spoke up, earning a quirked eyebrow from Riley, "Come on, she's the coolest person we know. Trust me, I keep a list."

"So, that's about how I look up to Go Go?" Riley questioned.

"It's more about how you want to be like her," Joy explained before her smile turned mischievous, "And it's not the only island that focuses on a certain person."

Confusion coloring her features, Riley looked towards the last island, the sight of which quickly caused her face to heat up. The island had many heart designs similar to friendship island, though other features were mechanical and robotic. They were all centered around a statue. A statue that looked exactly like Hiro.

"We call that one Romance Island," Joy whispered with a giggle as she leaned up next to Riley, "I think the statue is a very good likeness."

"It does show how cute he is," Disgust agreed a little dreamily.

Riley blushed brighter and smiled shyly before turning her attention away from the window, focusing on Joy, tucking a hair behind her ear as she did so.

"So, why are they connected to here?" Riley questioned.

"Because they're all powered by your Core Memories," Joy explained.

"What's a Core Memory?" Riley asked.

"They're the most important memories you have," Joy elaborated, "Memories of events that have defined your life."

Walking away from the windows, Joy pranced over to the panel in the floor before touching it with her foot. This caused the panel to rise up out of the floor, revealing a container that held more of the glass spheres, though these ones shone brighter than the others she had seen.

"These things are my most important memories?" Riley questioned as she walked over, the other emotions following behind.

"Yep!" Joy replied, "Each one powers a different aspect of your personality. Here, look!"

Joy pulled out a sphere, colored a swirl of yellow and blue, and handed it to Riley. Riley's eyes widened as she saw herself being hugged by her mother and father inside the police station, the image playing out in front of her like a movie.

"This….this is the family one, isn't it?" Riley pondered aloud in awe.

"It is," Joy agreed, "I really like that one."

As she spoke, Joy rested a hand on Sadness' shoulder, the other emotion smiling up at her.

"I thought you said only two of these were new," Riley observed, turning her attention back to Joy, "This is only from a few weeks ago."

"What we found out recently is Core Memories can be replaced with ones that the same values," Joy explained, "Your old ones were made when you were, like, three and, well, you're just not the same person anymore, are you?"

"Guess not," Riley agreed as she placed the memory back and looked over the others. One, a yellow and red memory, showed her playing hockey against her friends. A yellow memory depicted her laying on the ice with Tip and Hiro, laughing brightly. A red and purple memory displayed the image of her in the alley the night she had met Hiro, bodychecking one of the thugs who was going to beat him up. A green and yellow memory presented Riley with the image of Tip and her at school, goofing around so much she caused the other girl to laugh and spew milk out her nose. A yellow and purple memory depicted her on the back of Go Go's motorcycle, gripping the other girl tightly as they rocketed down the street. The final memory, also purple and yellow, showed Riley and Hiro talking, before she took his hand and kissed him on the cheek.

"Wow," Riley said with a smile.

"Yeah," Joy agreed as she touched the top of the container, causing it to slide back into the floor, "They're all pretty special."

"Yeah," Riley said absentmindedly as she looked down at the panel. Reaching out, Joy gently took Riley's hand, catching the girl's attention.

"Come on," Joy grinned as she nodded towards the control panel, "Let me show you where we work."

Nodding, Riley followed Joy over to the control panel, the other emotions following before fanning out to what Riley realized were there designated spots at the control panel.

"So, this is where you guys put your inputs?" Riley questioned as she looked over the complicated controls, "This seems like a lot."

"It's way better than the one we used to have to share," Disgust spoke up.

"You should have seen the one you had when you were first born," Joy snorted, "It was literally just one big button. Now, I have buttons for every different kind of laugh you do."

"I have a knob that dictates how much you cry," Sadness added quietly, earning a small smile from Riley.

"I have switches for fear, panic, mortal terror and general anxiety," Fear spoke up as well.

"What about you, Anger?" Riley questioned as she turned towards the shortest emotion, "What do-"

Riley cut herself off, her eyes widening as they fell on Anger's section of the control panel.

"Is that….every swear word I know?" Riley asked after a moment.

"Yeah," Anger chuckled, "They haven't let me use them yet. I'm pretty sure that button over there lets me combine two or more. Isn't the English language grand?"

Riley didn't comment as she walked over to where Disgust was standing.

"You know, if I had guessed what emotions would be in control of my head, I wouldn't have guessed Disgust would be one of them," Riley commented before quickly adding, "No offence."

"None taken, you'd be lost without me anyway," Disgust said as she looked up at Riley, "As you may have noticed, I'm a little more nuanced than the others we have around here."

Riley didn't miss Joy rolling her eyes or Anger shooting Disgust an annoyed glare in response. Turning back to Disgust, Riley looked at her panel and found a display screen that the emotion was tinkering with.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about the list thing," Riley observed, running her eyes down the document ordering everyone she knew by coolness.

"I have all sorts of these," Disgust explained, "Including a list of fashion ideas you should check out."

Riley was surprised by the idea but she quickly found it interesting.

"I always did kind of want to pay attention to fashion more," Riley commented with a shy smile.

"That's what I like to hear," Disgust stated with a smirk, "We're in the big city now, can't get by just wearing jeans and sweaters anymore. Love the hair by the way."

Riley brushed some of her purple locks behind her ears as she noted the ones in Disgust's own hair.

"I can see why," Riley answered with a bemused smirk.

"Hey, she's my idol too," Disgust stated with faux defensiveness.

Chuckling, Riley turned away from Disgust and looked over the control panel again. As she did, she noticed something.

"Hey," Riley spoke up, pointing towards the center of the control panel, "What's that?"

"That's the puberty button," Joy answered before shrugging, "We're not sure what it does yet."

"No, not that," Riley replied, pointing again with more emphasis, "That."

Looking in the direction Riley was pointing, Joy's eyes widened in surprise as they fell on what the girl was motioning towards. Before Joy, right next to the puberty button, was another button that stood out from the other. Unlike the other buttons, which were mechanical, this one almost looked organic, a spongy orange sack rising out of the control panel.

"I-I don't know," Joy stammered in surprise, "It wasn't there before."

"It wasn't?" Riley asked in surprise.

"No," Sadness confirmed.

"What does it do?" Anger pondered.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Joy replied with a shrug before she started reaching for the button.

"Don't touch it!" Fear wailed, "What if it kills us!?"

"It's not going to kill us," Joy reassured him.

"It looks gross," Disgust commented, seeming to turn a more sickly shade of green.

"I….will agree with that," Joy stated before reaching out for the button again, while she looked over at Riley, "What do you think?"

"Push it," Riley stated after thinking it over for a moment, "If it just appeared, it might have something to do with me being here."

"You've got it," Joy replied before pushing the button, which made a wet sound as she pressed it. As soon as Joy was finished pushing the button, the screen before them suddenly sprung to life as the static disappeared. Before them was what looked like the image of Headquarters, though the walls were bright, cleaner and more futuristic looking. The image seemed to be looking out through the other Headquarters' screen, displaying five emotions working furiously on their control panel, to seemingly no avail. Riley noticed that the emotions were much like her own, though the Joy was a male with unruly hair with the Fear appeared to be female, who was currently running around like a chicken with its head lopped off.

"What…" Joy began to say in confusion, "What is this?"

"It's another Headquarters," Sadness answered, her eyes almost as wide as her thick-rimmed glasses.

"Yeah, but one designed by Krei Tech," Anger commented, "Look how shiny it is in there!"

"I think they might be unconscious," Disgust spoke up with a worried tone.

"Are we….are we looking into someone else's head?" Fear questioned in shock.

"Not just any head," Riley whispered in horror, "This is Hiro's head."

"You sure?" Joy questioned in surprise.

"His Joy looks just like him and look at the design," Riley said, motioning towards the screen, "It screams Hiro."

"If that is Hiro, then he's unconscious," Sadness stated, "Maybe hurt."

"If he's knocked out," Fear gasped with sudden realization, "Then who's going to help us?"

Slowly, the emotions turned and looked at Riley, hoping for some sort of answer from the girl.

"I-I don't know," Riley whispered as she covered her mouth with her hands, "Oh, what did you do to us?"

A/N: Another chapter that I had to cut in two after it got away from me. There's just so much to talk about! Told you guys I was bringing in the emotions! Hope you like how I did it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	9. Hearing Voices

**Chapter 9: Hearing Voices**

The sun was setting beneath San Fransokyo Bay as Tadashi came puttering up to the garage on his moped, Honey sitting behind him with her arms wrapped around his stomach. As Tadashi killed the engine, Go Go pulled into the driveway behind him on her motorcycle while Wasabi parked his van on the side of the rode, Fred hopping out as soon as the vehicle had stopped with Baymax's red charging station in his hands.

"Got a delivery here of one state-of-the-art medical robot here for you, Magic Man," Fred joked as he carried Baymax over to Tadashi.

"Thanks, Fred," Tadashi chuckled as he took the case from the young man.

"Why'd you lug him all the way back to your house anyway?" Fred questioned.

"I wanted to tinker with him some more tonight," Tadashi explained, "He's close to being finished, trying to make that final push, you know?"

"Speaking of which, how do you think Hiro's doing?" Wasabi questioned as he joined the others.

"He's making progress," Tadashi replied as they began making their way over to the garage.

"I would hope so," Go Go spoke up, "I mean, the Expo is only a few weeks away. He doesn't have a lot of time left."

"He'll be fine," Tadashi assured them as Honey reached down to open the garage door for everyone, "He's got everything figured out now so, barring some unforeseen setback, he's got plenty of time."

As Honey opened the door, she let out a yelp of surprise as she found Tip barreling towards them.

"Tadashi!" Tip cried out as she ran over to the young man, "You have to help!"

"Whoa, whoa," Tadashi said, a confused look on his face as he looked down at Tip, "What's the matter?"

"There's been an accident!" Tip explained, looking like she was on the verge of tears.

"Accident?" Tadashi questioned as he turned to look into the garage, "What are you…."

Tadashi trailed off, his face turning ashen as he looked at the scene before him, the sight of Hiro sprawled out on the couch and Riley laying limp in one of the chairs turning his blood to ice water.

"Oh my God," Tadashi whispered, almost dropping Baymax in shock as the others made noises of surprise and horror behind him, "Hiro!"

All but dropping Baymax to the ground, Tadashi rushed over to where his brother lay, Honey quickly following him. At the same time, Go Go and Fred ran over to Riley's side while Wasabi wandered into the garage in a shocked daze, his hands clutched to his scalp in a look of panic.

"He's out cold," Tadashi observed as he check over his brother, his eyes lingering on the burns on the boy's arms, "God, he's been burnt."

"How's Riley?" Honey asked, looking over at the others with a worried expression.

"It's like the lights are on but nobody's home," Fred answered, biting his nails anxiously as he stood over the girl while Go Go kneeled in front of her.

"Riley?" Go Go said, snapping her fingers in front of the girl's face while supporting her head with her other hand, "Riley, you there? Come on, kid, talk to me."

"Maybe if we-" Fred began to say as he reached for the neural transmitter on Riley's head.

"Don't!" Tip shrieked at him, causing Fred to instinctively pull his hands back as he looked frightfully at the girl.

"I-I…." Wasabi stuttered before he managed to collect himself and start fumbling around in his pockets, "I'm calling 9-1-1."

"Wait, you can't!" Tip shouted as she spun towards Wasabi, causing the young man to look at her in bewilderment.

"What?" he questioned in shock, "Tip, they need medical attention."

"You don't understand," Tip replied, clutching frantically at her hair.

"Then explain it, Tip," Tadashi pushed, turning away from his brother to look at her, "What's going on?"

"This is stupid," Wasabi grumbled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it before him, "I'm calling an ambulance."

"Stop!" Tip exclaimed before stepping over to one of the workbenches and reaching underneath it. With one hard pull, Tip pulled Oh out of hiding before sending the Boov rolling across the ground. Oh rolled for a few feet before he came to a stop in the middle of the garage. Sitting on the floor, Oh glanced around with an anxious look on his face.

The garage went dead quiet as everyone looked at Oh in shock, the phone slipping out of Wasabi's hand and clattering to the floor.

"Um….hello," Oh greeted meekly.

Oh's words seemed to break whatever spell had fallen over the garage as everything started happening very quickly.

"Holy shit!" Go Go exclaimed as she hopped to her feet and turned to face Oh, while Fred tripped over his own feet while stumbling backwards and fell to the floor, "What the fuck is that!?"

"Oh my God!" Honey shrieked, stepping behind Tadashi as the young man jumped to his feet.

"Holycrapholycrapholycrap," Wasabi muttered fearfully to himself as he instinctively fell into a fighting stance.

"Tip, what is that!?" Tadashi demanded as he looked to the girl for answers.

"I am Oh," the Boov answered.

"Holy shit, it talked!" Go Go exclaimed.

"No talking!" Tip snapped at Oh before turning to Tadashi, "This is Oh. He's a Boov, a-an alien."

"I can see that!" Tadashi replied sharply, pointing at Oh as he talked, "What is he doing in my garage!?"

"We found him," Tip explained quickly, "Hiro, Riley and I. We thought he'd be safe here until we figured out what to do."

"Safe!?" Wasabi questioned in shock, "Safe from what!?"

"Krei Tech!" Tip shouted back.

"Okay, okay, I think everyone needs to take a deep breath and calm down!" Fred declared as he picked himself up off the floor. As he saw everyone begin to calm down, he smiled and turned his attention to Tip.

"Okay, Tip," Fred said with a calm and controlled voice, "Tell us what happened."

Nodding, Tip quickly went over the details of what had happened the previous night and that afternoon before the others had arrived.

"Okay, so you finished the work on the neural transmitter?" Honey questioned, addressing Oh.

"Yes, I dids," Oh answered with a nod.

"But why is she like this then?" Tadashi pushed indicating towards Riley before looking towards Hiro, "And what happened to my brother?"

"I am not knowings for sures," Oh prefaced nervously, "But, I perhaps did not take the differences between Boov and human physiology into the accounts."

"So, your neural transmitter isn't compatible with Riley's brain?" Go Go questioned as she crossed her arms and glared at Oh.

"Exactlys," Oh replied as he turned and pointed at Go Go, the excited smile on his face falling away as he found the young woman glaring at him, "I-I think that because of this, there has now been a feedback loop in the device. Instead of projecting outs, it is projecting ins."

"So, it's feeding her thoughts back into her own brain?" Wasabi questioned in shock.

"Yes," Oh replied with a nod, "And because of this, I believe the power system is being overtaxed and, well, you sees what happens."

"We need to fix this," Honey insisted with a worried tone.

"I am not knowing hows," Oh replied with a helpless shrug.

"I still think we should bring them to a hospital," Wasabi stated, "This is serious stuff. Hiro's hurt and who knows what that thing is doing to Riley's head."

"But what about Oh?" Fred questioned.

"What about him?" Go Go retorted sharply, still glaring daggers at Oh, "He's the cause of this. I say we hand him back to Krei Tech. Being experimented is exactly what this little slimeball deserves."

"Yuri, we can't do that!" Honey gasped, aghast as Oh turned a bright shade of yellow.

"Why the hell not?" Go Go snapped, "Why should we stick our necks out for him? For all we know, he's lying about everything!"

"He's not," Tip spoke up.

"How do you know that?" Go Go questioned with a gentler tone.

"Because he turns green when he lies," Tip replied with a sigh.

"He does?" Fred asked in surprise.

"Tell them about your non-existant laser eyes," Tip said as she turned her attention to Oh.

"I dooz sos has the laser eyes," Oh replied defensively as he turned a bright shade of green. Tip turned back to Go Go, quirking an eyebrow at the young woman as she motioned towards Oh.

"Fine," Go Go relented with a roll of her eyes, "Maybe he's not lying."

"Whatever the case, we have to figure out a way to help them," Wasabi said with a serious tone as he gestured to the unconscious children, "Just by looking at her, I don't think Riley's going to get better on her own."

"What do you think, Tadashi?" Honey questioned worriedly as she turned towards her boyfriend.

"I think I need a second opinion," Tadashi stated grimly before walking over to where he had laid Baymax's charging station down, "Ow."

The station beeped in reply to Tadashi's words and a few moments later, Baymax was stepping out of it.

"Hello," Baymax greeted with a circular wave, "I am-"

"Skip the intro, Baymax," Tadashi interrupted, holding a hand up to get the robot to stop, "We have an emergency on our hands."

"What is the nature of this emergency?" Baymax questioned.

"See for yourself," Tadashi replied as he stepped aside.

Looking away from Tadashi, the processors in Baymax's head whirred as he scanned the room.

"I am detecting two individuals in need of medical attention, Hiro Hamada and Riley Andersen," Baymax commented, "I am also detecting life signs that do not match any in my databases"

"Ignore the anomaly," Tadashi ordered, "Concentrate on the others, Hiro first."

Wordlessly, Baymax walked away from Tadashi to where Hiro lay on the couch. Oh looked up at Baymax as he passed, a look of wonder on the Boov's face.

"What is that?" Oh questioned as he looked over at Tip.

"That's Baymax," Tip explained as she watched the robot anxiously, "He's a medical robot built by Tadashi. Hopefully he can fix your mistakes."

Standing over Hiro, Baymax looked down at the boy as he lay sprawled out on the couch.

"Hiro has suffered a macroshock that has caused first degree burns on both arms," Baymax observed, looking over at Tadashi as he talked, "I estimate that the shock was twenty milliamperes and two hundred volts in power. Internal damage appears minimal and the nervous system is unharmed. I recommend applying burn ointment to the tissue damage suffered and that he be observed for any further complications."

"Okay, Baymax," Tadashi agreed with a nod, "Proceed with the treatment."

Wordlessly, Baymax turned back to Hiro and gently took one of his arms, holding it up and rolling the sleeves down. Holding Hiro's arm with one hand, Baymax held a finger over the boy's skin, the tip of which began to drip an ointment that the robot carefully spread across Hiro's skin. After he was done, Baymax produced linen bandages from a compartment at the center of his palm and wrapped them around Hiro's arm. Baymax repeated the process with Hiro's other arm before turning his attention back to Tadashi.

"The treatment is complete," Baymax declared, "The macroshock has knock Hiro unconscious, though he appears to have suffered no neural, nervous or cardiac damage."

"Thanks, Baymax," Tadashi replied with another nod, "Why don't you have a look at Riley now?"

With that, Baymax made his way over to where Riley sat slumped in the chair. Leaning over her, Baymax looked Riley up and down before focusing in on her face. Holding up one of his hands, Baymax extended a finger, a bright light shining from the tip of it. Baymax shone the light directly into one of Riley's eyes before shining it into another. After that, Baymax shut his finger light off before holding his hands next to either side of Riley's head. A low buzzing sound came from Baymax's hands, lasting a few moments before he lowered them and turned his attention back towards the rest of the group.

"Riley appears unresponsive to external stimuli," Baymax observed, "In addition, her brainwave patterns are….abnormal."

"What do you mean by 'abnormal?'" Go Go pressed.

"Precisely that," Baymax answered simply, "Riley's brainwave patterns do not match up with any similar patterns that I possess in my databanks. Riley's brainwave patterns are consistent with REM sleep, but she is not showing signs of the rapid eye movement the state entails."

"What do you suggest, Baymax?" Tadashi questioned.

"There does not appear to be any medical procedure for this situation stored in my databanks, nor do I believe I would discover one through research," Baymax commented as he looked down at Riley, "My suggestion would be to remove the device Riley is wearing as soon as possible, as my scans suggest it is the likely cause of her current condition. Additionally, I would recommend disabling the device in some way first, in order to prevent any unnecessary neurological damage."

"Could you turn it off, Oh?" Tip questioned as she looked at the alien.

"I believes so," Oh confirmed nervously, "But if I touch its, I will get a shocking much like Hiro."

"I don't see the problem," Go Go snorted as she glared at Oh.

"If I may," Baymax spoke up, drawing everyone's attention back to him, "It is my understanding that the device is giving off a dangerous electrical discharge, correct?"

"That's right," Wasabi confirmed with a nod.

"I am equipped with a defibrillator unit connected to the palms of my hands," Baymax went on, holding up his hands as evidence, "They are designed to safely run a charge between my hands and my batteries. As such, I should be able to divert the charge from the device to some grounded location, such as the floor, using my defibrillator system as the conduit."

"That's brilliant, Baymax!" Honey said happily, clapping her hands with excitement.

"Thank you," Baymax replied before turning his attention towards Tadashi, "Shall I proceed?"

"Do it," Tadashi confirmed with a nod, a serious look on his face.

Turning from Tadashi, Baymax moved towards Riley before sitting on the floor in front of her. Reaching up, he placed one hand on Riley's forehead while placing the other upon the garage floor. There was a low hum as he did this, but otherwise Baymax appeared unaffected.

"The device should be safe to touch now," Baymax informed them, "However, I would refrain from coming into physical contact with me until the device is disabled."

Nodding, Tip turned towards Oh before motioning for him to approach. Nervously, Oh walked around Baymax to get to Riley, the robot watching the Boov with clinical curiosity as he passed.

Standing next to Riley, Oh hesitated for a moment as he looked up at the neural transmitter sitting on her head. Slowly reaching out a hand, Oh gingerly touched the transmitter before sighing as he felt no shock. Sticking his tongue out in determination, Oh began to fiddle with the transmitter, opening panels and rearranging wires and chips.

After a moment, there was a spark of electricity that caused Oh to let out a startled yelp and jump backwards, shielding his face with his hands. As he did, Baymax blinked and removed his hand from Riley's forehead, revealing the light on the front of the transmitter had turned off.

"It would appear the device has been deactivated," Baymax observed as he looked back at the others. As he spoke, Riley began to stir, prompting the others to gather around her as Oh carefully took the transmitter off of the girl's head.

Groaning, Riley blinked few times, her blue eyes coming back into focus as she brought a hand up to her head. As her eyes focused, Riley looked around at the others before smiling weakly.

"Hey, guys," Riley greeted, "What's up?"

"I'll tell you what's up, you dumbass," Go Go said with a relieved smile as she pulled Riley into a hug, "You scared us half to death."

"Sorry," Riley replied as she returned the hug, her expression turning pensive as she did, "I….think?"

"Do you remember what happened?" Honey questioned, her tone concerned.

"Not really," Riley admitted as Go Go pulled away, "I remember putting the transmitter on and then….then I was somewhere else."

"Somewhere….else?" Wasabi questioned, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Yeah," Riley replied, running a hand through her hair, winding her fingers through her purple locks as she tried to collect her thoughts, "It was like….a control room. But it was a control room for me."

"...What?" Tip asked in confusion, "A control room?"

"Yeah, I-I guess," Riley answered, growing more agitated as she tried to piece her thoughts together, "There were like….people. They said they were my emotions. And they had a control panel and all these orbs that had my memories and-"

Riley hissed and clutched her hand to her head in pain.

"Whoa," Tadashi said, laying a hand on Riley's shoulder in an effort to get her to calm down, "It's alright, Riley. It was just a dream."

"A-A dream?" Riley questioned in confusion as she lowered her hand.

"Yeah," Tadashi confirmed, motioning towards the robot standing behind him, "Baymax scanned you while you were unconscious. He said the transmitter put you into some weird form of REM sleep."

"I was….dreaming?" Riley asked, not fully believing the answer.

"Yeah," Tadashi answered with a chuckle, "A pretty crazy dream at that, apparently."

"Yeah….pretty crazy," Riley agreed with a half-hearted chuckle before a confused expression spread across her face as she glanced around, "Where's Hiro?"

Everyone's expression turned concerned at the question, causing fear to creep into Riley's chest.

"W-What happened?" Riley questioned with a worried expression.

"He-He tried to pull the thing off of you after you put it on," Tip explained, playing anxiously with her hands, "But it shocked him and…."

Moving aside, Tip allowed Riley to see Hiro laying on the couch. Riley gasped in shock before hopping to her feet and running over to Hiro's side. For a moment, Riley stood over him, covering her mouth with her hands in shock.

"Is he….?" Riley began to say as the others walked up behind her but stopped, the overwhelming feeling of fear and guilt constricting her throat.

"He's fine," Tadashi assured her as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "He's a little banged up but Baymax said he should be fine. He'll probably wake up any moment now."

"This is all my fault," Riley groaned as she ran a hand across her face, "If I had been smart enough not to put the transmitter on, none of this would have happened."

"Hey, you can't blame yourself," Honey tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, especially when we have someone else we can blame," Go Go added as she glared pointedly at Oh, the Boov wilting under her gaze.

"Oh!" Riley exclaimed in surprise, noticing the Boov for the first time since awakening, "Oh God guys, we can explain!"

"Relax," Tip reassured her, "I already did."

"You did?" Riley questioned in surprise, earning a nod from Tip, "Then what-"

"As you may have imagined, this is a lot to take in at once," Tadashi said as he took his hat off and ran a hand through his hair, "I don't think we've really decided what to do about your friend here. For now though, I think we all agree to keep this on the downlow."

Riley smiled and nodded in reply before hissing as she felt a sharp spike of pain cut through her head while a soft, indistinct voice seemed to whisper in her ear.

"What?" she questioned as she looked around at the others, who glanced at one another in confusion.

"No one said anything, Fargo," Go Go replied, a look of concern passing over her features, "Are you feeling okay?"

"I-I don't know," Riley replied, anxiety rising in her chest.

"As your condition is unique, I would recommend some bed rest, followed by further tests at a later date," Baymax spoke up.

"Baymax is right," Tadashi agreed, "We should probably get you back home. You should get some rest."

"I can walk her back," Tip offered.

"That sounds like a good idea," Honey concurred.

"But what about-" Riley began to say as she looked back at Hiro.

"Hiro will be fine," Tadashi assured her, "I'm sure he'll wake up any moment now."

As Tadashi spoke, Riley felt a strange tingling sensation in her head, directly between her eyes. Along with this was a feeling of confusion, but one separate from her own. As it continued, Riley began to feel so confused that she could barely think straight, the sounds of her friends saying her name sounding muffled and far away. Looking over at Hiro, Riley gasped in surprise as she saw the boy groan and start to sit up.

"W-What happened?" Hiro groaned before his eyes shot open and the alien confusion Riley felt was replaced by a sharp pang of fear that made the girl jump in surprise, "Riley! She-"

Hiro trailed off after looking wildly around the room when his eyes fell on Riley who was looking at him with equally wide eyes.

"Riley!" he exclaimed happily and the fear clutching the girl's heart was abruptly replaced a soaring feeling of relief and happiness. Hiro quickly leapt to his feet and rushed over to Riley, hugging her and picking her up. Riley yelped in surprise before her own feelings of joy mixed with the alien one, causing her to giggle excitedly and return the hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Hiro declared with a laugh, causing Riley to laugh louder, earning confused looks from some of the others.

"I'm happy you're okay!" Riley replied.

"God, what happened?" Hiro questioned, "I remember-"

His eyes lighting up in remembrance, Hiro touched his arms and was surprised to find bandages around his arms. Riley also felt surprised, then immediately confused as she knew Baymax had tended to them.

"Who-?" Hiro questioned as Riley was momentarily blinded once more by the combined confusions.

"Well, after you two managed to knock yourselves out, Tadashi showed up with the cavalry here," Tip said as she walked over and pat Baymax on the stomach, the robot looking down at her before looking at Riley and Hiro.

"Thanks bro," Hiro said with a smile, causing Riley to smile as well, before he turned his attention towards Baymax, "And thank you, Baymax."

"No thanks are necessary," Baymax replied, "I am merely performing according to my programing."

"Thanks are always necessary, Baymax!" Riley declared, the gratitude welling up in her chest so strong that she couldn't stop herself from running across the garage and throwing herself at the robot, wrapping her arms around his inflated stomach. The others looked at Riley in shock and even Baymax seemed to be taken aback for a moment before he reached down and returned the hug, resting his head on top of Riley's.

"Riley seems a little…." Hiro paused to fish for the right words as Riley pulled away from Baymax, blinking in confusion, "Emotional."

"Yeah," Tip agreed, a look of concern on her face, "Hey, Riley, why don't we head home, okay?"

"Y-Yeah," Riley agreed hesitantly, "Let's do that."

"See you later, Riley," Hiro said as the girls departed, the others joining in as the two of them left the garage, before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Man, this has been a heck of a day."

"You are tellings me," Oh grumbled as he flopped into the beanbag chair, "I is the pooped."

Hiro chuckled at the Boov before his eyes shot wide open in horror. Slowly looking over his shoulder, Hiro found Tadashi looking back down at him.

"Yeah, I found out about your alien pal," Tadashi commented, a serious look on his face, "You and I have a lot to talk about."

All Hiro could do was sigh and run a hand through his messy hair again.

 _Later,_

Night had fallen across San Fransokyo and Riley Andersen lay in bed, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars attached to the ceiling. Riley knew she needed to get some sleep but her head was refusing to cooperate, her mind abuzz with a sensation she had never experienced before, punctuated by occasional spikes of pain. She was glad that her emotions seemed to be in check once more though. For the time being in least.

Suddenly, she heard a soft whisper that sounded like it had come from right next to her. Sitting bolt upright, Riley quickly switched on her bedside lamp and looked around wildly.

She was alone.

Slowly, Riley's breathing calmed, her fear replaced by confusion.

" _...do that?_ " Riley heard a voice whisper again, sounding louder and clearer this time.

"Who's there?" Riley demanded, throwing over her covers and hopping to her feet, looking around her room for any sign of who was talking.

" _...don't hear anyone_ ," a voice, different this time, said. It sounded so loud to Riley she was sure the person was right next to her. No, closer than that. Like they were speaking right in her ear.

"Who's talking!" Riley snapped, clenching her hands into fists as she glared around the room.

" _I don't understand,_ " a male voice said, high-pitched and panicked, " _Someone's talking, but I can't figure out who!_ "

" _Is something wrong with us?_ " a morose, female voice questioned, " _What if this has something to do with what happened to us today?_ "

" _It's okay guys_ ," a different female voice said reassuringly, " _We'll figure this out_."

" _Wait_ ," the male voice said as Riley realized she recognized the voices, a sharp pang of fear slashing through her heart, " _Oh no…_."

" _What is it?_ " a gruff, male voice asked.

" _I think…._ " the first male said hesitantly, " _I think the voices are us_."

" _What are you talking about?_ " a snooty female voice inquired.

" _I think Riley….can hear us,_ " the first male explained.

There was a long pause as Riley felt the blood drain from her face as a cold sweat began forming on her brow.

 _"...Riley?_ " the happy female voice questioned, sounding nervous, " _Can you hear us?_ "

"J-Joy?" Riley questioned, her breathing short and shallow, her legs shaking underneath her.

" _I think…._ " Joy paused as she thought over her words, " _I think we have a problem._ "

A/N: Not much to say about this one. Fun chapter to write, hope you guys enjoyed it. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	10. Focus

**Chapter 10: Focus**

Riley sat in class, nervously tapping her pencil against the notebook in front of her, her free hand propping her head up with her elbow against the desktop. Her eyes were focused on her teacher, lecturing at the front of the room, but Riley was doing anything but paying attention.

" _You know, we should probably be paying attention to what she's saying,_ " Sadness' voice echoed in her head, " _This will probably be on the test._ "

Riley's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

" _Hey, keep it down!_ " Anger snapped at far too loud of a volume, causing Riley to wince involuntarily, " _We can't go distracting her all the time!_ "

" _So, what?_ " Disgust questioned, the sneer evident in her voice, " _Are we just supposed to never talk again?_ "

" _I certainly wouldn't mind it if you shut your-_ " Anger growled before Joy cut in as Riley increased the tempo of her pencil tapping.

" _Guys, guys, please,_ " Joy pleaded, " _This really isn't the time to argue. We just need to get through school today. After that, we can go to Hiro's house and talk to him and Tadashi. I'm sure they'll be able to fix whatever this is._ "

" _But what if they can't!?_ " came Fear's panicked reply, prompting Riley to close her eyes and start rubbing her forehead in agitation, " _What if we're stuck like this forever!? Or worse, what if they don't believe us!? What if they think we're crazy and lock us away in some madhouse for the rest of our lives!?_ "

" _Th-That's not going to happen, Fear,_ " Joy tried to reassure him, though Riley could hear her voice wavering, " _Our friends wouldn't do that to us_."

" _They might,_ " Sadness argued, " _If they thought we we suffered brain damage from the neural transmitter, they might do it for our own good._ "

" _Oh, come on, Sadness!_ " Joy snapped with agitation, causing Riley to stop tapping her pencil and grip it tightly in her hand, " _That's not helping!_ "

" _Neither is your Pollyanna optimism!_ " Disgust spoke up, " _Things aren't going to be fine just because you keep pretending they are!_ "

" _Hey, I thought I told you to shut your trap!_ " Anger growled, prompting things to quickly dissolve as Riley's emotions began arguing amongst themselves. Riley couldn't distinguish the words being said as her emotions shouted at one another, their voices settling into a cacophony of sound that caused her head to pound and her teeth to grind together. Riley's fist shook as she clutched the pencil so tightly her knuckles turned white, her eyes clenched closed in barely controlled frustration. Vaguely, Riley was aware of Tip talking to her, but she barely noticed it over the din in her head as she reached her limit and the pencil snapped in half in her hand.

"Quiet!" Riley snapped as she jumped to her feet, her chair scraping across the floor as she slammed her hands against the desktop.

Everything went quiet then. Not just in her head, but all around Riley. Slowly opening her eyes, Riley looked around the classroom and found everyone staring at her. Riley's face flushed in embarrassment as she noticed a few of her fellow students whispering to one another, their eyes never leaving her. Glancing to her side, Riley found Tip looking up at her with wide eyes, her hand held out like she had been about to lay it on Riley's arm before she stood up. The slight buzz of an alien confusion stirred at the front of her mind, though it was weak enough that Riley was able to ignore it.

"Riley?" her teacher asked with confused concern, "Is everything alright?"

"I….I…." Riley stammered, her face growing redder as tears started welling up in her eyes.

"It was my fault," Tip quickly interjected, mercifully bringing everyone's attention to her, "She was trying to pay attention and I wouldn't stop bothering her. I'm sorry."

"Right," the teacher replied, looking only slightly mollified by the interruption, "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

Tip nodded in agreement as Riley sat down, sliding as low as she could in her chair in a vain attempt to hide from her fellow classmates and their gazes. As the teacher turned her attention back towards the whiteboard at the front of the class, Tip looked towards Riley and laid a hand on the other girl's shoulder. Riley looked at the concerned and confused expression on Tip's face, feeling it in that new, alien way as much as seeing it. She offered Tip a half-hearted smile but no explanation as she straightened in her seat and turned her attention back to her notes. Riley sighed as she picked up the remains of her pencil, looking at the two halves sitting in her palm.

" _Oh, Riley,_ " she heard Joy whisper, pain clear in her voice, " _We're so sorry._ "

Riley said nothing in reply as she went back to trying to take notes with her broken pencil.

 _Later_ ,

Riley sat in the beanbag chair in Hiro's garage, staring absentmindedly at the object in her hand. It was a cylindrical object, less than an inch long and made out of black metal. A ball joint at its center allowed it to bend easily it any direction.

Glancing around the garage, she saw the rest of her friend scattered about the room. Honey and Tadashi sat together on the couch, whispering quietly to one another. Fred and Tip sat on the floor in front of the television, game controllers clenched in their hands, with Oh sitting behind them, watching the flashing visuals. At the same time, Go Go was sitting in one of the chairs, chatting with Wasabi, who was leaning against one of the workbenches.

"So?" Hiro questioned from her side, startling Riley, "What do you think? Like the microbot design?"

Riley looked up at Hiro, who was looking down at her with barely contained eagerness. Seeing him smiling at her caused a grin to spread across her own face as she was blindsided by an alien feeling of joy. The feeling came on frighteningly fast and Riley quickly diverted her eyes as her heart started hammering in her chest.

" _Oh, this is too much!_ " she heard Fear scream in her head, " _Why is it worse coming from him!? We have to get away!_ "

"I-It's cool," Riley stammered as she quickly handed Hiro the microbot. Hiro took as he regarded Riley with a confused expression, sending a disorienting buzz through Riley's head.

"Are you okay, Riley?" Hiro questioned.

" _Lie!_ " Fear pleaded, " _We can't let them know! Lie!_ "

"I-I'm fine," Riley said, trying to sound reassuring and failing.

" _Well, I'm convinced,_ " Disgust commented sarcastically.

"Really, Riley?" Tip said as she turned away from the game and looked at the girl with her brow furrowed, Fred looking between them in confusion, "You're going to say that after what happened what happened at school today?"

" _Seriously!?_ " Anger demanded, " _Did she really just throw us under the bus like that?_ "

"What happened at school today?" Tadashi questioned, a concerned look on his face.

"Nothing!" Riley insisted, shooting a glare at Tip.

"It wasn't nothing, Riley!" Tip argued as she stood up, "You had a total freakout in the middle of class!"

" _Oh, that little…._ " Anger snarled.

"It wasn't a freakout!" Riley snapped, hopping to her feet so fast it caused Hiro to take a step back in surprise.

"Then what was it, Riley?" Fred questioned, laying a hand on Tip's shoulder and shooting her a look that caused the girl to back off.

" _No!_ " Fear moaned, " _If they find out, they'll lock us in the looney bin!_ "

" _There's no way they'll believe us,_ " Sadness agreed.

"It-It wasn't anything, okay?" Riley insisted, crossing her arms over her chest and shying away from the others, "Just leave it alone."

Her friends shared concerned, unconvinced looks.

"We're your friends, Riley," Honey said, her voice full of empathy, "You can talk to us."

"It's-" Riley began to argue, but fell silent as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, Riley found Go Go standing behind her, giving her a warm smile.

"There's no use lying to us, Fargo," Go Go told her, "We can see right through your bullshit."

Riley looked up at Go Go before slowly scanning the garage. All her friends were standing around her, clearly concerned. The emotions she felt drifting off of them were so intense that tears started welling up in Riley's eyes.

" _This is too much,_ " Sadness whispered, " _I don't know what to do, this is way too much._ "

"Hey, hey," Go Go said as she crouched down and wrapped her arms around Riley, "It's okay."

"No, it's not," Riley sobbed, tears running down her cheeks as she leaned against Go Go, "It's not okay. I don't think it will ever be okay again."

"What happened, Riley?" Tadashi questioned, fear clear on his features.

" _I guess…._ " Joy began to say before pausing as she sighed, " _I guess we had better tell them._ "

" _Are you sure that's a good idea?_ " Fear questioned.

" _No,_ " Joy relented, " _But what choice do we have?_ "

"It was the transmitter," Riley answered, "It….It did something to me."

"What do you mean?" Go Go questioned, pulling away from Riley and shooting a glare at Oh, who had the good graces to look ashamed, "What did it do to you?"

"You all thought it was a dream, but it wasn't," Riley explained, "The emotions….they're real. I can hear them talking to me."

A ripple seemed to go through the group as they digested Riley's words, sharing glances with one another that now had fear mixed with the concern.

"Riley-" Wasabi started to say before cutting himself off at Riley whipped her head around, her red rimmed eyes glaring at him.

"I'm not crazy!" Riley barked, anger coloring her features.

"I didn't-" Wasabi tried to say in shocked surprise before Riley cut him off again.

"You were feeling it," Riley growled, "I could feel you feeling it."

"W-What?" Wasabi questioned, completely flabbergasted.

" _Yeah,_ " Anger barked, " _I see you over there, dreadhead._ "

"I can feel what you're feeling," Riley replied, her anger turning into a pained expression on her features as she looked around at the others, "I can feel what each and every one of you is feeling right at this moment. And it's….it's so much."

"What…." Go Go began to say before she paused and took a moment to collect her thoughts, "What do mean you can feel what we feel?"

"I mean exactly that," Riley explained, "I know what you're all feeling, because I feel it too."

"How is that possible?" Tip questioned, surprise and confusion written across her features.

"I don't know," Riley explained with a shrug of her shoulders, "It's like….I feel my emotions normally, but there's also this separate part of me that feels other emotions too. Sometimes they conflict with one another, sometimes they combine to feel stronger than any emotion I've ever felt before."

There was a pause as the others thought over what Riley had said, each of them feeling a such a flurry of emotions she couldn't tell one from the other.

"There's no way," Wasabi finally concluded with a shake of his head, causing Riley to cringe away from him, "There's just no way she can do this."

" _Oh no, this is it!_ " Fear moaned.

"Why can't she?" Fred questioned with a pointed look.

" _Huh?_ " Joy questioned in surprise as Riley looked over at Fred.

"There's no such thing as psychic powers, Fred," Wasabi argued, narrowing his eyes at the other man.

"Bullshit there's not," Fred retorted as he held up two fingers, "I got two names for you, Wasabi. Everseer and Pyschwave."

"Who?" Wasabi questioned, his expression baffled.

"They were two Supers back during the Golden Age," Fred explained, "Both of them had psychic powers. And that's not 'they may have had psychic powers'. This is known fact. There's government files and everything. Both of them showed off way more power than what Fargo is claiming to have."

"Fred, just because you read this in a comic book-" Wasabi started to argue with a sigh.

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid, Wasabi," Fred snapped, taking Wasabi by surprise, "These people were real. There's mountains of evidence saying they were. You saying there's no such thing as psychic powers is the same as saying a man can't fly, and if you think that, then I have a lot of news reel I'd like to show you."

"Fine," Wasabi relented with a sigh, his expression apologetic, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, man," Fred smiled with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"So, it's possible that Riley does have powers," Honey concluded.

"It must have something to do with the transmitter," Hiro surmised before turning his attention towards Oh, "Can Boov tech do that?"

"I supposes," Oh replied thoughtfully, "We Boov are quite advanced. Part of the reason is that we have all our biggest brains connected to one another through our technology."

"So, the Boov have their own form of neural transmitter," Tadashi observed, "Probably a lot more advanced."

"Yes," Oh agreed with a nod of his head.

"That might explain it then," Hiro said pensively as he turned back towards Riley, "When Oh's adjustments to the transmitter got you caught in that feedback loop, it must have rewired your brain somehow."

" _Wait!_ " Joy said with an excited gasp, " _That might mean…!_ "

"Can….Can you fix it?" Riley asked, looking at Oh hopefully.

"I….am not knowing how," Oh admitted as he turned a shade of blue, not willing to look Riley in the eye as he spoke, "I am not knowing anything abouts human brains and you are the first human to use Boov technology ever. I do not has the knowledge to fix you….if you can be fixed at alls."

" _Oh no,_ " Sadness whispered in Riley's ear as she bit her lip and diverted her gaze, fighting against the tears welling up in her eyes. She squeezed her eyes closed as she felt the waves of sympathy roll off her friends like a wave that threatened to smother her and leave her a quivering mess on the ground.

"Oh…." Riley managed to whisper, "O-Okay…."

"Riley…." she heard Hiro say from behind her and the sadness threatened to crush her completely as he laid his hand on her trembling shoulder.

" _We can't…._ " Sadness whimpered, " _We can't be here._ "

"I-I have to go," Riley said quickly, pulling away from Hiro's touch and making her way towards the door, tears streaming down her face, "I h-have to go."

"Riley wait!" Hiro pleaded, but the girl was already gone, the door swinging closed behind her. There was a moment of silence as the group thought over what had just occurred.

"What are we going to do?" Honey fretted, her fingers nervously entwined with one another.

"What can we do?" Go Go questioned helplessly, "We don't know the first thing about telepathy."

"Empathy," Fred corrected, a pensive look on his face.

"Excuse me?" Go Go asked as she arched an eyebrow at Fred.

"Riley's, well, superpower isn't telepathy, it's empathy," Fred explained, "Empathy is when you feel another person's emotions. Most of the time, that just means you've gone through the same experience as someone else and thus, know what they're feeling through experience. In Riley's case though, she literally feels what other people are feeling. I suppose that would make her an empath."

After Fred had finished his explanation, he glanced around at the others, who were staring at him in surprise.

"What?" Fred questioned, arching an eyebrow in confusion.

"We've just never heard you talk like that, Fred," Tadashi explained, the others nodding in agreement.

"Come on guys," Fred said, rolling his eyes with a snort, "Just because I don't go to your school doesn't mean I don't go to school at all."

"As fascinating as this little conversation is, I think we need to figure out what to do about Riley," Go Go spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest as she regarded the others.

"I don't know how we can help her," Honey said with a sigh, "Learning to control your own emotions can be hard enough, especially for someone her age. I can't imagine what it's like trying to focus when you feel other people's emotions too."

As Honey finished speaking, Wasabi's eyes widened as a thought came to him.

"I think I have an idea," he declared as he began jogging towards the door.

"What idea is that?" Go Go questioned as he passed her.

"I'll let you know if it works!" Wasabi shouted back before disappearing through the door, leaving his friends to watch him leave with confused expressions.

Quickly hopping into his van, Wasabi fastened his seatbelt and started up the engine before driving towards Riley's house as fast as the traffic laws would allow. After a few moments, Wasabi spotted Riley walking down the sidewalk and pulled his van over next to her.

"Riley!" he called, his car rolling along next to the girl as she walked, "Hey, Riley!"

Riley glanced over at Wasabi but otherwise ignored him and kept walking.

"Come on, Riley," Wasabi sighed, "I'm sorry for what I said and….felt. I was a jerk. I should have believed you."

Riley stopped walking and sighed before turning to face Wasabi, his van rolling to a stop in front of her.

"What do you want, Wasabi?" Riley questioned.

"I wanted to give you a ride home," Wasabi explained, "I wanted to make sure you got there okay."

" _We should mess with him,_ " Joy advised as Riley thought over Wasabi's offer.

Riley took a moment to glance up and down the street.

"You know you're a grown man who just invited me, a twelve year old girl, into your van, right?" Riley questioned with a bemused expression.

"Well, geez," Wasabi replied as he nervously glanced around as well, "Thanks for making it weird."

Riley snorted in amusement before she walked around the van and got in on the passenger's side.

"So, why did you really pick me up?" Riley questioned as she buckled up and Wasabi pulled out onto the road again.

"Well, I had an idea," Wasabi answered as he drove, "An idea that might help you control your new….gift."

" _That's what he calls it?_ " Disgust questioned with a snort.

"I wouldn't call it a gift," Riley said, turning her gaze out the window, watching the buildings on the side of the road roll past.

"Maybe not yet," Wasabi admitted, "But that's because you don't know how to use it. If you got it under control, you might feel differently."

" _Maybe, maybe not,_ " Anger said with a mocking voice, " _We don't deal in fairy tales here, pal!_ "

"Well, I can't control it!" Riley snapped, whipping her head around to glare at Wasabi, "So, if you don't actually have a solution, maybe you should just shut up!"

Riley glared at Wasabi for a few moments, feeling the pity radiating from him before turning away again.

"Well, luckily, I do have an idea," Wasabi said, his attention on the road, "Do you remember my teacher? Takahito- _sensei_?"

" _The old, Japanese guy_?" Joy pondered aloud.

"I do," Riley confirmed with a nod, "He's your boss and the guy who taught you karate."

"That's true, but he knows other things as well," Wasabi explained, "Things like meditation and tai chi. He could teach you them."

" _Wait, what's tai chi?_ " Joy questioned in confusion.

" _I think it's those weird, wavy motions we see old people doing in the park sometimes,_ " Disgust explained, " _It seems kind of like yoga but less trendy._ "

"You think….you think that will help?" Riley questioned hopefully.

"It's all about control, both of your mind and your body," Wasabi answered, "I know from experience that it helps control your emotions, so why shouldn't it work for other emotions as well?"

" _I guess that makes sense,_ " Sadness commented as Riley thought over Wasabi's words.

"Okay," Riley agreed with a nod, "It's worth a shot."

"I agree," Wasabi said with a nod, "I'll run it by _sensei_ , though I'm confident he'll agree. We usually train in the part on Saturday mornings. Does that work for you?"

"Sure," Riley agreed, a small smile spreading across her features as Wasabi came to a stop outside her house, "Thanks, Wasabi."

"Don't mention it," Wasabi replied with a grin, "Now, I think you need to get to bed. It's a school night, after all."

" _Thanks, Mom,_ " Disgust groaned as Riley rolled her eyes while chuckling. She quickly collected her things and hopped out of the van before making her way towards the house.

"Thanks, Wasabi!" Riley called, waving to the young man as he began to drive away, "Night!"

" _See, you guys,_ " Riley heard Joy say to the others, " _I told you there would be some way to handle this! Things are looking up!_ "

Smiling, Riley couldn't help but agree as she made her way up the stairs to her house.

 _A few days later_ ,

Riley sat bleary eyed on her bed, stifling a yawn as she pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail, the purple streak in her hair running along the left side of her hair. She then quickly pulled on her white sneakers before standing up and straightening her black tank top and brushing off her capri-length yoga pants, also colored black with pink lines down the side.

Walking over to her bedside table, Riley picked up her phone and checked the time.

" _Wasabi will be here soon,_ " Sadness commented, " _Oh, I'm so nervous._ "

" _It'll be fine,_ " Joy reassured her, " _It will be fun and I'm sure this Takahito guy will be able to help us._ "

Nodding, Riley slipped her phone into her pocket before exiting her room and heading downstairs. Jill smiled at Riley from the kitchen table, looking up from her coffee as her daughter made her way down the stairs.

"Morning," Jill greeted with a smile.

"Morning," Riley replied with a more subdued tone as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Everything okay?" Jill questioned, Riley noting the hint of worry both in her tone and her emotions.

" _Oh no!_ " Fear screeched, " _She's onto us!_ "

" _No, she's not,_ " Disgust said with a tired sigh, " _She's just being Mom._ "

"Yeah," Riley replied with a reassuring smile, "Just didn't sleep well last night."

"You need your sleep, Riley," Jill stated with a slightly admonishing tone, "You're a growing girl after all."

"Yeah, yeah," Riley chuckled as she glanced around the room, "Dad's not in work again, is he?"

"He is," Jill confirmed with a sigh, "He's working on a very important project."

"Yeah, I know," Riley agreed with a sigh of her own, "But if he keeps working like this he's going to go crazy."

"You say that like your father hasn't already gone crazy," Jill said with a chuckle before noting Riley's outfit, "Oh, that's right, you're going to the park with your friend Darron."

"Yeah, Wasabi's teacher agreed to show me some tai chi," Riley replied.

"Well, that's interesting," Jill commented as she took a sip of her coffee, "What brought that about?"

" _On to us!_ " Fear screamed, causing Riley to visibly wince.

" _Shut up!_ " Disgust snapped in reply.

"It seemed interesting," Riley answered with a shrug, "I met his teacher when Go Go and I went to his sushi shop on my birthday and Wasabi thought I'd like it."

As she finished, a knock came from the door.

"That's probably him," Riley observed as she began making her way towards the front door, "I'll see you later, Mom!"

Jill waved in reply as Riley jogged up to the door and opened it. On the other side, Wasabi loomed above her, wearing a white karate _gi_ held closed by a black belt with a few gold stripes across it along with a pair of sandals.

"Morning, little lady," Wasabi greeted with a grin, the warmth of his happiness washing over Riley, "Ready to head out?"

"Yep!" Riley replied cheerfully.

"Alright, let's go," Wasabi stated, urging Riley to follow him as he made his way down the stairs. Trailing behind Wasabi, Riley followed him up to his van parked on the side of the street and hopped into the passenger's seat.

"How are you feeling today?" Wasabi questioned as he started the van up and made his way down the street.

"I'm feeling…." Riley paused, licking her lips as she thought, "I'm feeling better. At least today."

"School still rough?" Wasabi ventured, his emotions changing from happiness to worried concern.

" _You don't know the half of it,_ " Disgust snorted.

"Yeah…." Riley sighed, "It's so hard being around so many people with so many emotions. Especially middle school."

"Yeah, middle school…." Wasabi sympathized, pausing to blow a breath out his mouth, "Middle school is tough."

"You really think your teacher can help me?" Riley questioned hopefully.

"If anyone can, it's him," Wasabi confirmed with a grin and Riley could feel his confidence in his words.

"How did you meet him?" Riley inquired.

"It was by accident mostly," Wasabi replied with a shrug, "Back when I first came to San Fransokyo for school, I was a bit of a nerd."

"No, really?" Riley questioned sarcastically, Disgust echoing the sentiment in her head.

"You joke, but I was way worse when I first got here," Wasabi replied with a laugh, "I might be a neurotic nerd now, but back then I was a skinny, extremely neurotic _otaku_."

"A what?" Riley questioned in confusion.

"It's Japanese," Wasabi explained, "It basically means I was a anti-social, shut-in nerd."

" _He actually used to be worse?_ " Disgust questioned in shock, " _Ugh, I hate to even imagine what that would have been like._ "

"So, what does that have to do with how you met your teacher?" Riley questioned.

"Well, no matter how anti-social you are, you have to eat at some point," Wasabi explained, "I didn't really care much for the cafeteria, so I started looking around at the local restaurants on the internet. I've always had a love for sushi, so _sensei's_ restaurant immediately caught my attention. Sadly for me, they didn't deliver."

"So, you had to go there yourself," Riley surmised with a small smile.

"Exactly," Wasabi confirmed, "I hated the idea back then but I'm so happy that I managed to work up the courage to go. It changed my life."

"Why did Takahito decide to help you?" Riley asked.

"Pity, mostly," Wasabi answered with a self-deprecating snort, "He wasn't kidding when he told you I barely managed to get into the restaurant and I'm surprised he figured out my order with how badly I mumbled it. He sat down and talked with me as I had my meal. It didn't take long for him to figure out what my problem was."

"What was it?" Riley inquired.

"Confidence, or the lack thereof," Wasabi answered, "I was a skinny kid with weird interests and a germ phobia. Let's just say I didn't have a lot of friends back home. _Sensei_ thought he could help give that confidence. That I would be happier with it."

"How did he give you confidence?" Riley asked.

"He taught me things," Wasabi explained, "Like karate."

"Really?" Riley questioned dubiously, "Karate gave you confidence?"

"You laugh, but being able to punch through a wooden board is a pretty big confidence booster," Wasabi chuckled.

"Why?" Riley questioned after a moment, a pensive look on her face.

"Why what?" Wasabi questioned in confusion as he glanced at Riley.

"Why did he help you?" Riley clarified, "You were a perfect stranger. Why did he decide to train you?"

Wasabi paused as he thought over the question before a smile began to spread across his features.

" _Sensei_ is a good man who is very good at reading people," Wasabi explained, "He knows what they're thinking, what they're feeling, what they need, just by looking them in the eye. You could say he was….empathetic in a way."

Riley stared up at Wasabi as the van started to slow down.

"We're here," Wasabi informed her as he parked the van.

Looking up, Riley could see Wasabi had pulled the van into a parking lot attached to a small park. Cherry trees provided shade for the winding paths that made their way through the green lawn winding around a fountain made out of white stone that sat near the center of the park. The park was almost completely empty save for a single figure Riley could see standing on a small hill at the opposite end of the park, shaded by the low hanging branches of a willow tree.

" _Sensei_ is already here," Wasabi observed, nodding towards the figure as he stepped out of his van, "We shouldn't keep him waiting."

Nodding, Riley hopped out of the van as well and followed Wasabi across the park towards where Takahito was waiting. As they approached him, Riley could see that Takahito was wearing a _gi_ similar to Wasabi's, though she noted that his belt was fading to grey from repeated washing. Takahito smiled as he watched them approach.

"Good morning," he greeted with a friendly smile.

"Good morning, _sensei_ ," Wasabi replied, giving Takahito a deep bow with his arms locked at his sides, a gesture Riley awkwardly copied.

"G-Good morning," Riley mumbled as well.

" _Ugh, we sound so dumb,_ " Disgust sighed.

" _What if he can't help us?_ " Fear wondered, " _What if he can but we're not good enough for him to teach us?_ "

"No need to be nervous," Takahito stated with a grin, "I do not bite. The dentist said I had to give it up."

Riley giggled as she stood up straight again, some of her anxiety leaving her.

"So, Darron told me that you might benefit from my teachings, though he avoided telling me why," Takahito stated, eyeing Wasabi as he spoke.

"It-It wasn't my secret to share, _sensei_ ," Wasabi explained.

Takahito nodded at this before turning his attention to Riley.

"Perhaps I can answer this riddle then," Takahito said as he stepped forward so he was standing only a foot from Riley. As he did, he met Riley's gaze, his dark brown eyes looking into her blue ones. For a few moments, the two were silent, Riley beginning to fidget awkwardly as it started to feel like Takahito was looking through her instead of at her.

" _What's he doing?_ " Sadness questioned.

" _I don't know, but it's freaking me out!_ " Fear squeaked.

" _This old man better back off if he knows what's good for him,_ " Anger growled.

" _Come on, guys,_ " Joy pleaded, " _Give him a chance._ "

As her emotions talked amongst themselves, Takahito finally blinked after what felt like an eternity to Riley, a small smile spreading across his features as he took a step away from the girl.

"You require….control," Takahito stated, catching Riley by surprise, "Your emotions war with one another and with you."

" _Well, that seems a bit harsh,_ " Joy commented.

"But that is not all," Takahito continued, "Your emotions fight with something else. What is that?"

"I-I'm different," Riley explained as she looked away from Takahito, "From other people that is."

"Many people feel that way about themselves," Takahito observed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "They are usually incorrect. But you….no, you are not different. You are unique. You possess something that no one else does. That scares you."

Riley looked at Takahito in shock.

" _Oh wow, he's good,_ " Joy observed with awe.

"How did you…." Riley began to ask.

"You told me," Takahito answered with a wry smile, "As I hope you will tell me what makes you so unique."

"I….can feel what other people are feeling," Riley answered hesitantly.

"That is not unique," Takahito stated, "Any bleeding heart you see protesting in the street feels for others."

" _Oh, come on, gramps!_ " Anger groaned in frustration, " _And here I thought you were quick on the uptake!_ "

"You….you don't understand," Riley sighed, "I can literally feel it. Whether someone is happy or sad or afraid, I feel it."

Takahito studied Riley for a long, quiet moment. Slowly, he turned his gaze up towards Wasabi.

"I didn't believe it either, _sensei_ ," Wasabi assured him, glancing at Riley as he talked, "But as far as we can tell, it's true. She has no reason to lie about this and I don't think she's crazy."

Takahito didn't comment as he turned his gaze back to Riley.

"I suppose this world has seen stranger things," Takahito commented sagely, "This does not stretch the imagination past the point of impossibility. How did you come by this….power?"

" _We can't tell him about Oh!_ " Fear shouted, " _Superpowers are one thing but an alien is a whole different kettle of fish!_ "

"I….I'd rather not say," Riley replied, looking away from Takahito again.

"Very well," Takahito relented with a nod, "Your secrets are your own. The how does not matter. If you are experiencing the emotions of those around you, it is even more important for you to learn to control them."

"Is that…." Riley paused as she chewed her lip nervously, "Is that possible?"

"You say you can read emotions, correct?" Takahito questioned with a wry smile, earning a nod from Riley, "Then tell me. What am I feeling now?"

Riley furrowed her brow as she looked at Takahito in confusion. Though she had never tried to purposefully feel someone's emotions before now, Riley tried her best to focus attention towards Takahito, closing her eyes in attempt to better concentrate. In the short time since her accident, she had started imagining the myriad emotions she felt as colors, no doubt influenced by her brief trip into her own mind. Anger was a fiery red, sadness a watery blue, happiness a sunshine yellow, fear a sticky purple and disgust a sickly green. Even the other, more subtle emotions she had started noticing were simply different shades of these colors.

Takahito gave off no color at all.

Perhaps that wasn't correct, Riley thought. It wasn't the numbing black that she imagined the depression she had felt weeks before looked like. Black was the lack of color and fit well to the lack of emotion.

What Riley felt from Takahito was white and featureless. But it was not a drowning void like black depression. Instead, Riley felt a sense of calmness radiating off Takahito. A feeling of peace and serenity. She quickly realized this was not the lack of emotions but all emotions in a controlled unity, for while black was the lack of color, white was all colors mixed as one.

" _Wow…._ " Joy's voice echoed quietly in Riley's head as she opened her eyes and regarded Takahito in surprise.

"Do you think I will be able to help you?" Takahito questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"Y-Yes, sir," Riley replied, having trouble finding her voice as she gave him a quick nod.

" _Sensei_ ," Takahito said insistently, "I am your teacher now, I expect to be referred to as such."

"Uh, yes…. _sensei,_ " Riley corrected herself.

"Good," Takahito smiled as he turned and made his way to the top of the hill, the drooping willow branches curtaining around him as he passed through them. Following him, Riley found that Takahito had set up three mats in a triangle at the base of the willow tree. Takahito walked over to one before turning to face them and sitting cross legged on the mat. Riley hesitated for a moment as Wasabi walked past her and sat on one of the other mats, crossing his legs as well.

"Come, sit," Takahito insisted as he motioned to the free mat.

Riley nodded and walked over to the mat before sitting, doing her best to mimic the position both Wasabi and Takahito were in.

"First, we will start with some meditation," Takahito stated, "I find it is the best way for clearing your head of stress."

" _Oh great,_ " Anger grumbled, " _So this is the part where we close our eyes and pretend not to fall asleep, right?_ "

" _Come on, Anger,_ " Joy pleaded, " _Let's give it a chance._ "

Anger grumbled to himself but didn't argue.

"So….how does this work?" Riley questioned, getting as comfortable as she could on the mat.

"It is simple," Takahito answered, "Sit with your back straight, breathe slowly and deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth, and think of nothing."

"Think of nothing?" Riley questioned in confusion, "So, just let my mind wander?"

"No," Takahito replied with a small shake of his head, "You must think of nothing. No daydreaming. No imagination. Nothing. Thoughts and images may come to you in meditation but you must not go searching for them. Do you understand?"

" _No!_ " Anger snapped from inside Riley's mind, " _None of this makes any sense!_ "

"Y-Yes," Riley replied hesitantly, "At least, I think I do."

"It will come in time," Takahito assured her with a smile before turning so that his head faced straight. The old man closed his eyes, his muscles relaxed but not slumped, and started breathing slowly. Riley watched him for a moment before looking over at Wasabi, who she found in a similar state.

Sighing, Riley settled as best she could onto the mat, resting her hands on her knees and rolling her shoulders before relaxing them and closing her eyes. For a few moments, Riley did as she had been told, taking long, deep inhales through her nose before exhaling through her mouth. The park was still largely empty and the only sounds that reached Riley's ears were the cars rolling by the park and the wind whistling through the trees.

" _This is stupid,_ " Anger grumbled as Riley grew frustrated, " _Nothing's happening._ "

" _Nothing is happening because you don't have the patience to let it happen,_ " Disgust replied with an annoyed tone, " _Chill out for a minute would you?_ "

The two began to argue and Riley chewed on her lip in frustration. She had to ignore them. But how do you ignore people in your own head?

Opening one eye, she looked at Takahito and Wasabi, who were still sitting before her in meditative concentration. As Riley looked at them, she felt the quiet feeling of peace rolling off of both of them, though Wasabi's emotions weren't quite as controlled as his teacher's. Feeling this, a thought came to Riley.

" _Uh, guys,_ " Sadness spoke up quietly, catching the others' attentions, " _I think Riley is doing something._ "

Closing both eyes, Riley focused on the feeling of peace radiating off of Takahito. As it washed over her, Riley began shaping her own feelings to match what she felt as best she could. As she did, her thoughts grew less distinct and her sense of her surroundings started to drift away.

" _Guys…._ " she barely heard Fear say, " _What's happening?_ "

" _I don't…._ " Joy began to reply, but Riley never heard the rest of it, not that it mattered. Nothing felt like it mattered at that moment. Riley knew there were things that matter, they just didn't matter right then. She had no thoughts, no feelings, no worries. She simply was.

Riley wasn't really even sure where she was. She knew she would remember if she thought about it, but there was no need for that at the moment. No smell reached her nose, no touch on her skin. She was barely aware she was sitting on a solid surface. She did hear a sound though, a few, gentle sounds in fact. Something padded towards her on light feet. A nose sniffed curiously at the air. The wind stirred something long and soft.

An image appeared to Riley then, though she couldn't say if she saw it or it appeared as a thought in her mind. It was hazy, as were the rest of her thoughts, but she could make out a few details. A canine appearance. Soft, blonde fur dashed with violet.

And multiple tails.

"I believe that is enough for now," Takahito's voice cut through to her and Riley's eyes snapped open in surprise. Everything came flooding back to Riley and her senses once more began informing her she was in a park in the middle of a city. The strong feeling of peace did not fade though and Riley could not remember ever feeling as relaxed as she did at that moment.

" _...Whoa_ ," Riley heard Anger say in her head, the stunned shock obvious in his voice.

" _That was….nice,_ " Joy commented, " _Weird but nice._ "

"That was very good," Takahito commented with a serene smile, "I am impressed with how well you did on your first try."

"Thank you, uh, _sensei_ ," Riley replied with a small smile of her own, "It was….I think this is going to help."

"I'm pleased to hear that," Takahito stated, a sparkle in his eye, "Would you like me to show you more?"

Riley's excited smile threatened to split her face in half if it grew any bigger.

"Yes, _sensei_."

A/N: Well, this was an amazingly fun chapter to write. Really got to stretch my creative writing muscles with the emotions' commentary as well as Riley feeling and interpreting other people's emotions. To say nothing of the various dramatic scenes in this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	11. The Touch

**Chapter 11: The Touch**

Riley stood quietly in the center of her room, the morning sunlight filtering in through her window. Taking a deep breath, Riley slowly exhaled it as she made a gentle pushing motion with her hands, thrusting forward with her legs with her weight rested on the balls of her feet. Taking another breath, she drew her arms back to her, swirling them around her head before gently thrusting her elbow forward.

" _I think we're getting pretty good at this,_ " Joy's voice said inside Riley's head, bringing a small smile to the girl's face.

" _I would hope so,_ " Disgust stated, " _We've been practicing this every day for the last two weeks_."

"Riley?" Jill's voice called as the girl heard her mother's footsteps making their way up the stairs, "You coming? It's almost time for school."

"Be right there!" Riley called as she grabbed her cellphone off her bedside table and scooped her backpack up off of the floor. Stepping out into the hall, she smiled at her mother who was waiting at the landing of the stairs. She could feel her mother's emotions, happy and loving, radiating off of her, present but unobtrusive. The sensation encouraged Riley and she approached her mother with a skip in her step.

"Sorry, was just finishing up," Riley apologized as the two of them began making their way down the stairs.

"No problem," Jill replied with a smile, "You've really gotten into that tai chi stuff the last few weeks."

"It's relaxing," Riley replied as they reached the bottom of the stairs, "It helps me….clear my head."

" _I suppose that's one way of putting it_ ," Joy added with a chuckle.

"Plus it's also a real martial art," Riley added proudly, "If you actually put some force behind the moves, you could hurt someone."

" _I know that's how I like to clear my head,_ " Anger stated with a dark chuckle.

"Well, try and hold off on the hurting people while you're at school, okay, killer?" Jill requested with an amused grin.

"Sure thing," Riley answered with a grin of her own, opening the front door and turning back to her mother as she closed it behind her, "Love you."

"Love you too," Jill replied, the corresponding emotion washing over Riley before her mother shut the door and the girl made her way down the stairs to the sidewalk. Glancing across the street, Riley smiled as she saw Tip exiting her house.

"Morning," Riley greeted sunnily as she jogged across the street.

"Morning to you too," Tip replied with an amused giggle as they began walking down the street, another warm wash of happiness enveloping Riley, "You know, I missed that."

"What?" Riley questioned in confusion, the smile never leaving her face.

"Your whole sunny disposition thing," Tip explained as they walked, "It feels like it's been awhile since you've been yourself. It's good to have you back."

" _Aww, isn't she the best?_ " Joy cooed.

"It's good to be back," Riley replied as she stopped walking before she pulled Tip into a hug.

"Alright, alright," Tip laughed, quickly returning the hug before gently pushing Riley away, "Let's not get too lovey-dovey. What would your boyfriend think?"

Riley blushed brightly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as they started walking again, causing Tip to snort in amusement.

" _Why does she always need to make it so embarrassing?_ " Disgust wondered aloud.

"You're so easy," Tip commented with a shake of her head, her brown curls dancing around her head, "How's he doing anyway? He's almost done with the microbots right?"

"Yeah," Riley confirmed with a nod of her head, "He's pretty much got the neural transmitter figured out and he's been assembling a whole mess of microbots. I think he's got a couple of those big, rolling, recycling bins full of them now. He should be ready for the Expo this weekend."

"Man, where does he get the stuff to make all of this?" Tip questioned, "I mean, his aunt just runs a cafe, she can't be making that much money."

"She's not," Riley confirmed, "Hiro says most of the stuff he has he found in junk piles and the like and refurbished. I think Tadashi has been sneaking him some supplies from the school as well. I know Oh's been helping him with some stuff too."

"Now, there's a troubling topic," Tip commented with a sigh, her happiness replaced with anxiety, "What are we going to do with him?"

"I don't know," Riley answered, Tip's worries stirring up her own before she could get a hold of them, "I mean, what can we do with him? He's….He's an alien for crying out loud!"

" _An alien some shadowy company wants to experiment on!_ " Fear added with a panicked squeak.

"I know," Tip agreed with a frustrated sigh, "I know, but we can't keep him in the garage forever."

"No, we can't," Riley said with a nod, "Cass has already come close to finding him a couple of times and Hiro says she would not handle it well if she found out."

"Maybe one of the others will take him?" Tip questioned hopefully, "I mean, a couple of them live alone, right?"

"I guess but…." Riley sighed as she thought over the situation.

" _It's all just temporary,_ " Sadness commented, " _It's just hiding him until there's a better plan but-_ "

"There's no real way out of this, is there?" Riley questioned dourly.

"Of course there is," Tip asserted, the feeling of her confidence hitting Riley like a smack across the face, snapping her out of her morose thoughts, "We just need time to figure out what it is."

"Your right," Riley agreed with a smile, allowing Tip's confidence to bolster her own, "We'll figure it out."

"That's the spirit," Tip commented with a grin as they approached the school, the sight of which caused the girl to let out a depressed sigh, "For now though, we have to worry about getting through yet another day of school."

"One day at a time, Tip," Riley said with a chuckle as she looped her arm around the other girl's shoulder and they made their way up to the school together, "One day at a time."

 _Later,_

Tip and Riley spent the afternoon after school similarly to how they spent many other such afternoons; sitting around in Hiro's garage. Currently, Tip and Oh were sitting on the couch, the girl impatiently trying to teach the Boov how to play one of the video games Hiro owned. Hiro was currently hunched over one of the workbenches working on the neural transmitter, Riley sitting next to him, helping where she could. A half dozen blue, plastic, rolling recycling bins sat in the center of the garage.

"There!" Hiro shouted happily as he sat up straight and threw his hands into the air triumphantly, the force of his elation almost causing Riley to fall out of her chair in surprise, "I think I've got it!"

"For real?" Tip questioned, looking up from the game and walking over to the workbench, Oh trailing behind her.

"Yep," Hiro answered, holding up the new neural transmitter, an unadorned metal circle, "With this baby, I should have the microbots at my beck and call."

" _Are we sure this is a good idea?_ " Fear questioned, " _What if he ends up like us? Or worse!_ "

"Is it safe?" Riley asked nervously.

"Safe as it can be," Hiro reassured her, "It's designed and built by me without any of that pesky Boov tech, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Boov are best at many things," Oh stated bashfully, "Integrating with other technologies is not one of those many."

"You can say that again," Tip commented with a snort.

"Boov are best at many things," Oh started to say, but cut himself off with a yelp of pain as Tip hit him in the arm.

"Still, if it does end up rewiring my brain, I'm hoping for telekinesis," Hiro joked.

Riley couldn't help but giggle at that, sensing the amusement and hope radiating off of Hiro.

"I think it'd cool to be able to blow stuff up with my mind," Tip commented with a smirk.

"I knew humans could not do that!" Oh declared, giving Tip an accusatory look that caused the girl to roll her eyes as Hiro and Riley.

"Alright, fire it up," Tip said encouragingly as she turned her attention towards Hiro, "Let's see what you've got, boy genius."

"Yes, commence with the burning in an upwards direction!" Oh added excitedly, earning another eyeroll from Tip, "I am most excited to see your device in activation."

Smirking, Hiro lifted the transmitter up and placed it on his head. There was a quiet pause as Hiro and the others waited for something to happen. When nothing did, they all let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Alright, still conscious," Hiro observed, "That's already a noted improvement."

"Does it work?" Riley questioned.

"Only one way to find out," Hiro replied as he stood from his seat and walked over to one of the recycling bins. Flipping it open, Hiro peered inside, looking at the mass of black microbots piled on top of one another.

"Alright, everyone should give me some room," Hiro stated as he took a step back from the bin, the others backing as far away from the boy as they could. Taking a deep breath, Hiro thrust his hands out, palms up, before lifting them into the air. As he did, there was a rumbling sound before the microbots began to rise out of the bin as a single, black mass, the robots clacking against one another as they moved.

"It's working!" Hiro laughed as the microbot mass continued to rise, "It's working!"

Lowering his hands, the microbots fell to the floor, spilling out of the bin.

"Why are you moving your hands around like that?" Riley questioned.

"I-I don't know," Hiro admitted, looking like the question had caught him by surprise, "I wasn't really thinking about it. You're right, let me try-"

Hiro's voice trailed off as he narrowed his eyes in concentration, his tongue sticking out from between his lips. As he stared at the microbots, they began to move again, swirling around Hiro until he was standing knee deep in them.

"It's actually harder to just use your mind," Hiro commented, "Let me try something."

As Hiro lifted his hands up above his head, the microbots swarmed around him, crawling up to his knees before lifting him up off the ground, forming a thick pillar beneath him.

"Yep, it's definitely easier when you do the hand motions," Hiro said, looking down at the microbots with a megawatt grin on his face, "Must be a mind and body type thing. Plus, it looks cooler."

Making a pushing motion, Hiro caused the microbots to lower him back to the ground before they pooled around his feet and he stepped away from them, taking the transmitter off as he did. Grinning, he turned his attention towards the girls and threw his arms out dramatically.

"I think someone is ready for the Expo!" he declared with a laugh.

" _It works!_ " Joy exclaimed, " _It actually works!_ "

Grinning, Riley ran over and pulled him into a hug, which Hiro quickly returned.

"This is great!" Riley said happily as she pulled away, holding one of Hiro's hands in hers, "I'm so excited for you!"

"You want to give it a spin?" Hiro asked, holding the neural transmitter up for Riley to take.

" _Oh no, no, no, no_ ," Fear quickly interjected, " _We can't put it on! It might mess us up worse than we already are!_ "

" _He already tested it on himself, numbskull!_ " Anger snapped, " _We're not going to just stand here looking like a chicken!_ "

" _He's right,_ " Joy agreed, " _We can totally do this_."

Riley smiled before reaching out and taking the transmitter before reaching up and placing it on her head. As soon as it had settled on her head, Riley felt a feeling of disorientation flood over her and she had to take a step to steady herself.

"Yeah, it feels weird at first," Hiro commented, grabbing one of Riley's arms gently in an effort to stabilize her, "That's why I gave it a moment when I first put it on. It should go away in a second."

Sure enough, the dizzy spell passed after a moment and Riley was able to keep her balance on her own.

"Thanks," she said as she smiled at Hiro.

"No problem," he replied with a slight blush as he ran a hand through his messy hair before gesturing to the pile of microbots, "Now, let's see what you can do."

"Go get it, girl," Tip added for encouragement, "Show him how it's done."

Nodding, Riley turned her attention towards the microbots and was immediately struck by the sense of them in her mind. It was an odd feeling for Riley, distinct from her sense of other people's emotions. She found it akin to the presence of a limb in her mind, though without any of the tactile senses that went with it. It was simply there, waiting to be used.

" _Whoa,_ " Joy said in wonder, " _That's pretty cool._ "

" _If we keep putting in add-ons, we're not going to have any room to sleep,_ " Anger grumbled.

Smiling, Riley slowly lifted her right hand, causing the pile of microbots on the floor to stir, the tiny robots shifting around one another. Putting a little more force into her thoughts, Riley lifted her arm higher, her wrist locked. As she did, the mass of microbots surged up, rearranging themselves so they could stand taller as Riley brought her arm higher. After a moment, Riley stopped raising her hand and the mass of microbots froze in place, now standing as tall as her. Riley then slowly lowered her arm again, causing the microbots to pool on the ground once more.

"Nice, you're getting the hang of it now," Hiro encouraged her.

"It's pretty easy, which I guess is the point," Riley replied, looking at Hiro before turning her attention back towards the microbots, "I wonder…."

Reaching out again, Riley made a pinching motion with her hand before raising her arm, keeping her wrist loose. As she did, a single strand of microbots, magnetically connected end to end, rose out of the pile. The others watched in amazement as Riley pulled her arm back, causing the rope of microbots to reach towards her, growing longer as necessary. As Riley pulled her arm back, she began rotating her wrist, which caused the rope of microbots to start spiraling as it approached her.

When the rope was close enough, Riley reached forward, putting her arm in the center of the spiralling strand of machines. Opening her hand back up, Riley quickly wrapped her fingers around the rope, which, in turn, caused the microbots to constrict lightly around her arm. Reaching up, Riley grabbed the rope with her other hand too before closing her eyes in concentration. As she did, the rope lifted her off the ground, causing Riley to laugh in delight. The rope gently carried Riley over to the other microbots, which pooled around her feet as the rope deposited her back on the ground before breaking apart.

"Whoa!" Hiro exclaimed in surprised awe, "That was amazing! You're way better at this than me."

" _OMG, he's praising us!_ " Disgust yelled from inside her head, " _Act cool! Say something cool!_ "

"T-Thanks," Riley muttered, blushing as she brushed a stray hair behind her ear. Her blush turned a shade embarrassed as Disgust groaned in her head.

"Got any more tricks up your sleeve?" Tip questioned with a smirk.

"I think I do," Riley confirmed with a nod, her brow furrowed in thought, "Let me try something."

Spreading her feet, Riley took a deep, calming breath before slowly bending her arms and raising her hands, palms up, so they were level with her chest. As she did, the microbots clattered over one another as they rose up as a single mass, surrounding her up to her hips but not touching her. Smiling, Riley made a pushing motion in front of her, causing the microbots to flow forward before sliding to the ground and spreading across the floor like a wave crashing against the shore.

Adjusting her stance, Riley began to crouch and turn to one side, sweeping her arms along behind her. As she did, the microbots flowed along with her, rippling like water being dragged in the wake of a person's hand.

Lowering herself to one knee, Riley dipped her left hand into the mass of microbots, the tiny machines quickly flowing over her. Grinning, she lifted her right hand up to her left arm and ran her fingers up it to the shoulder. This caused the microbots to crawl up her arm, following in the wake of her fingers. As the first microbots reached her shoulder, Riley looped her arm over her head, trailing her fingers across her shoulders before gracefully extending her arm to the ground, resting her fingertips on the cool, concrete floor. As she did this, the microbots crawled across her shoulders and ran down her arms before rolling onto the ground, pooling around her right hand. Riley stayed in that position until the microbots had flowed from her left side to her right, giggling as she felt the tiny robots crawl across her arms and shoulders.

As soon as the last microbot rolled off her hand, Riley made another pinching motion before she started to rise in a slow spin, her right arm trailing behind her. As she did, the microbots again formed a single file rope, extending towards her right hand as she pulled it away. Riley continued to spin in place as she finished standing, the entire microbot swarm forming into a rope that followed in her hand's wake like a jet black ribbon.

Eventually, Riley stopped spinning and held her right hand in front of her face, still held in the pinching position. At the same time, the microbots froze, most of their mass coiled around her with one end raised, like some giant, metallic snake that was starring Riley down. Slowly, Riley moved her from side to side in a flowing motion, the microbots matching the movements like a cobra following a snake charmer's flute. After a moment, Riley stopped with her hand directly in front of her nose, the microbots freezing in place. Slowly, she extended her hand, closing her hand until she only had her index finger raised. Grinning, Riley extended the finger and tapped the microbot's tip, prompting them all to decouple from one another and clatter to the floor, pooling around her feet once more.

Turning back to the others, Riley found them staring at her in mute awe. After a beat, Oh grinned widely and began applauding Riley. He awkwardly trailed off when he noticed Tip and Hiro had not joined him, the two of them still staring at Riley.

"Is….Is the clapping of hands not a human sigh of impression and congratulations?" Oh questioned in confusion.

"...Holy crap," Tip whispered, blinking her eyes and shaking her head clear, "I mean….holy crap, Riley."

" _Did we do something wrong?_ " Fear questioned with worry and confusion.

"W-What?" Riley questioned, looking nervously at her friends.

"Riley…." Hiro began to say, before he paused as he tried to find the words to what he wanted to say, "That was….amazing."

Riley blushed brightly at that.

" _Oh my god, don't just stand there, say something!_ " Disgust pleaded.

"I-I….It wasn't….that impressive," Riley mumbled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Are you kidding?" Tip asked in shocked confusion, "That was the coolest thing I have ever seen!"

"Riley, I don't think I could have ever done something like that," Hiro added with a smile.

"It was being very impressive," Oh agreed with a nod and a smile from his large mouth.

"Oh, come on, anyone could do that," Riley argued, averting her eyes as she rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment, "That's the whole point of these things, aren't they? They're supposed to be really easy to use and stuff."

"Yeah, it's supposed to be intuitive," Hiro agreed with a snort of amusement, "But not that intuitive."

"Huh?" Riley questioned in confusion.

" _Wow,_ " Disgust sighed, " _He must think we're so articulate_."

"What I'm saying is you just put the transmitter on for the first time and did things I would never even have thought to do," Hiro said with a tone of amazement as he walked over to where Riley was standing, "I mean, when you got them to flow across the ground like they were, I don't know, water or something, how did you do that?"

"I was….I was just using tai chi," Riley explained with a shrug, averting her eyes and smiling shyly.

"Tai chi?" Hiro questioned in confusion.

"It's a martial art," Riley explained, "It's all about redirecting energy and stuff."

"Redirecting?" Hiro asked with a smirk, amusement and surprise radiating off of him, "I wouldn't have thought a hockey girl like you would be into something so….passive."

" _What a dork,_ " Joy commented with a chuckle.

"Hockey isn't all I am, Hiro," Riley stated as she playfully punched him in the shoulder while rolling her eyes, "Besides, there's nothing quite like getting someone to slam themselves into the boards."

Hiro laughed at that before his expression turned pensive.

"I just had an idea," Hiro announced, "Do you think you could do me a favor?"

"Sure," Riley replied with a smile and a shrug, "What is it?"

"You might want to hear me out first before accepting," Hiro informed her, "It's kind of a big favor."

"Come on, Hiro," Riley chuckled as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Just tell me what it is."

"I thought you might be able to demonstrate the microbots for me at the Expo," Hiro answered, giving her a nervous smile.

" _What!?_ " Fear exclaimed, " _We can't do that! He wants us to get up on stage and demonstrate these things in front of a bunch of important people!? What if we mess up!?_ "

"I-I can't do that, Hiro," Riley stuttered in surprise, "It's your invention, you should be presenting it."

"I can tell you'd be way better at showing the microbots off then I would," Hiro reassured her, "The important part is that I made it. I mean, nobody claims the Wright brothers were the world's best pilots just because they invented the airplane."

" _He has a point_ ," Joy stated.

" _But we could still mess up!_ " Fear argued, " _And if that happens, what will they think of his invention then!?_ "

"...But what if I screw up?" Riley questioned, fearfully, her voice quiet, "What if I make you look bad?"

Hiro regarded her for a moment and Riley could sense the trust he had for her. Even with all practice she had been doing to shut other people's emotions out, Riley couldn't shut out Hiro's. Sometimes, she swore she could sense what he was feeling even when they weren't around one another.

Reaching out, Hiro laid a hand on Riley's shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze.

"You're not going to mess up, Riley," Hiro reassured her, giving her a small, genuine smile that matched his emotions, "You're going to be great. Come on, don't you want to be my lovely assistant?"

Riley's face turned scarlet and she averted her eyes as she unintentionally pictured herself dressed in the traditional outfit of a magician's assistant.

"Oh, come on," Tip groaned from behind them, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, "Give me a break."

It was Hiro's turn to blush as he pulled back his hand and ran it through his hair, Riley shooting a glare at Tip, who chuckled in reply.

" _She just can't help herself, can she_?" Disgust sighed.

"So, what do you say?" Hiro asked hopefully, "Will you help me out?"

" _I'm really not sure about this,_ " Fear whined.

" _Come on, Fear, live a little,_ " Joy teased, " _We've got this._ "

"Okay, yeah," Riley agreed with a smile, "What's the worst that could happen?"

A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter this time, but I had a lot of fun showing the microbots in use. Hope you guys liked it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review!


	12. Showtime

**Chapter 12: Showtime**

Riley took a calming breath as she ran her hairbrush through her hair, staring at herself in the mirror. She wore a yellow sundress along with a pair of black leggings and a similarly colored sweater. A black headband kept her now completely blonde hair out of her eyes.

" _See?_ " she heard Disgust say in her head, a note of smugness in the emotion's voice, " _Told you you'd look good. Would have prefered we kept your hair the same._ "

" _She has to look professional,_ " Sadness explained, " _We don't want Hiro to miss his chance because the judges think we're…_ "

" _What? Some sort of punk?_ " Anger questioned with a snort, " _If those stuffed shirts think that having a little color in your hair makes you a delinquent, well-_ "

" _I think we get the point, Anger,_ " Joy interrupted with a reassuring voice, " _We'll put the color back as soon as we can_."

Placing the hairbrush down, Riley looked herself over one last time.

" _You look great, Riley,_ " Joy stated and the girl could practically hear the smile in her emotion's voice.

"Riley!" Jill called from downstairs, her voice snapping her daughter out of her introspection, "You ready!?"

"Coming!" Riley called as she quickly put on her shoes and raced down the stairs, finding her mother and father waiting for her.

"Looking good, kiddo," Bill commented with a smirk.

"Thanks, Dad," Riley replied with a grin as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Ready to go?" Jill questioned.

" _No,_ " Fear squeaked inside her head.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Riley answered after taking another calming breath.

"Hey, no need to be nervous," Bill reassured her, "You're just having a little fun, right?"

"A little fun in front of a bunch of important people who will decide my friend's future," Riley stated with a nervous laugh, "No big deal, right?"

"It's very nice of you to be doing this," Jill commented as she reached down and laid a hand on Riley's shoulder, "I'm sure Hiro appreciates you helping him out."

" _He had better,_ " Disgust commented with a snort.

"Thanks," Riley replied with a small smile.

"We should get going," Bill spoke up as he checked the time on his phone, "Lucy and Tip are probably waiting for us."

Nodding, Riley followed her parents as they exited the house and made their way down the stairs to the sidewalk. As they reached the sidewalk, they were met by Lucy and Tip crossing the street from their house.

"Evening," Lucy greeted before smiling brightly at Riley, "Oh, Riley, you look wonderful."

"Thank you," Riley replied, blushing slightly from the praise.

"We should get going," Bill stated as he nodded towards his station wagon parked in the driveway. The others quickly followed his lead and piled into the car, Riley and Tip sitting next to each other alongside Lucy in the back.

"You ready?" Tip questioned, playing with her hair and pulling it back into a bun as Bill pulled the car out and began driving towards the SFIT campus.

" _No,_ " Fear moaned.

"I guess," Riley replied with a shrug.

"Oh, come on, you have no reason to be nervous," Tip admonished her, playfully bumping Riley with her shoulder, "You have nothing to be worried about. I mean, you've been practicing with Hiro all week. You'll be fine."

" _She has a point,_ " Joy commented.

"If you say so," Riley relented, chewing nervously on her lip.

The group arrived on the SFIT campus a few minutes later, Bill parking the car in the parking lot of the college's expo center. The expo center was a stout, wide building, built with the idea of housing a large amount of open space inside and a Japanese style. Bright lights illuminated the front of the center and a pair of banners hung on either side of the front entrance, declaring that the SFIT Showcase had begun.

"I wonder-" Riley began to say as she stepped out of the car and began looking around before a sharp whistle cut through the air and grabbed her attention. Turning around, Riley saw Go Go waving to her from a short distance away, standing next to Wasabi's van and Cass' truck where the others were unloading the recycling bins that Riley knew were filled with microbots.

"Over here, Fargo!" Go Go called, waving Riley and the others over. Smiling, Riley jogged over to the others, Tip, Lucy and her parents following behind.

"Hey," Go Go said, smirking and nodding at Riley in greeting, giving the girl a quick look over, "Looking good. You ready?"

" _No!_ " Fear screamed, " _Why do people keep asking that!?_ "

"Thanks, and yeah, I-I guess," Riley replied as she nervously looked down at her feet.

"Hey," Go Go said firmly, bringing Riley's attention back to her, confidence radiating off of her, "Don't go getting all wishy washy on me. I've seen what you can do with these things. There's nobody here better than you. So, woman up, okay?"

Riley allowed Go Go's confidence to wash over her and used it to fuel her own. Taking another calming breath, Riley turned a genuine smile towards Go Go.

" _She's right, we've got this_ ," Joy stated with a note of pride.

"Okay," Riley stated, nodding her head in determination.

"That's what I like to hear," Go Go said with a grin, playfully patting Riley on the cheek, "Now, how about you help us roll these things inside, okay?"

Nodding, Riley walked over to where the bins were, finding Hiro chatting with his brother. Noticing her approach, Hiro smiled as he stepped towards her, Riley grinning as she noticed his feelings of happiness increase when he saw her.

"Hey," Riley greeted as she walked up and hugged Hiro, a gesture he gladly returned.

"Hey, yourself," Hiro replied as they pulled away, allowing Hiro an opportunity to look her, "You look um, great."

" _Tell us something we don't know,_ " Disgust commented smugly.

Hiro paused as he looked himself over, noting his usual attire of t-shirt, hoodie and shorts.

"I'm starting to feel a little underdressed actually," Hiro noted self-consciously and Riley felt a hint of anxiety seep into his emotions.

"Hey, you look fine," Riley assured him, hesitating for a moment before reaching out and adjusting his sweatshirt then reaching up and brushing a few strands of his wild hair back into line, all the while refusing to look him in the eye as she feel the mixture of surprise, happiness and embarrassment growing in him, "You just need a few adjustments is all."

"Uh, thanks," Hiro stated, awkwardly coughing into his hand as Riley stepped away.

" _This is too easy,_ " Disgust giggled, " _Keep going_."

"No problem," she replied with a shrug, smiling at him, "You shouldn't worry too much about your appearance anyway. I'm the lovely assistant, remember?"

Hiro choked in surprise as Tadashi perked up at Riley's words, looking at his brother with a wry smile and a quirked eyebrow.

"Lovely assistant, huh?" Tadashi questioned, practically glowing with barely contained mirth.

"I….uh, you see," Hiro mumbled, so flustered he wasn't able to form a sentence in his head, let alone his mouth.

" _He's so cute when he's flustered_ ," Joy cooed in Riley's head.

" _Why do you think I keep suggesting it?_ " Disgust sighed dreamily.

"Very smooth, little brother," Tadashi stated with a grin as he ruffled Hiro's hair before turning to one of the bins sitting nearby, "Come on, we should get these things into the Expo Center."

"R-Right," Hiro mumbled as Tadashi turned away from him. Looking back to Riley, Hiro couldn't help but shoot the girl a weak glare as he found her smiling deviously at him despite the blush on her own features.

"Thanks for that," Hiro grumbled half-heartedly.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Riley said with a helpless shrug as she walked over to one of the bins, "It could have been worse."

"How so?" Hiro questioned as he followed her.

"I could have said it in front of my dad," Riley answered as she glanced over her shoulder and smiled cheekily at Hiro, her emotions laughing in her head.

The thought caused Hiro to stop in his tracks, his eyes wide and his face pale as he considered Riley's words. Slowly, he looked over at Bill, who was talking with Cassbefore he glanced over at Hiro, who quickly whipped his head back around and scurried away.

Together, the group made its way up to the entrance of the expo center, pushing the bins along as they went. As they entered the building, Riley had to pause as the sight of what lay inside the expo center briefly took her breath away.

Past the entrance hall, the expo center became a single, massive room with a high vaulted ceiling and lit from above by powerful lights. The gigantic floor space had been sectioned off with temporary walls, collapsible partitions and plastic view screens, creating a labyrinth of corridors that the crowds of people meandered through. Everywhere the eye could see, young, would-be scientists and engineers were displaying their work, ranging across every discipline of science imaginable, each of them eagerly explaining their theories and inventions to anyone who would listen. The whole building felt alive with energy and Riley paused in her step as the unrestrained emotions of the people surrounding her slammed into her like a crashing wave.

" _Too much, too much, too much!_ " Fear shrieked in her head, his shrill voice ringing in her ears.

Snapping her eyes closed and taking a few deep breathes, Riley pushed the other emotions away, doing her best to put up a solid wall between her and the emotions that threatened to flood her mind and drown her. The effort of will left Riley's hands shaking as sweat formed on her brow. She couldn't feel the emotions of her friends and family at that moment, as she did not dare let anything in, lest she be overwhelmed. Riley was left with her own emotions and one other's.

"Riley," Hiro said his tone worried as he lay a hand on her shoulder, his concern seeping into her mind like water through a crack, "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," Riley answered shakily, giving Hiro a meaningful look, "Just a little….overwhelmed, you know?"

"Yeah," Hiro stated, nodding his head in understanding as Riley felt his worry recede, "I know. You going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine," Riley assured him, wondering if she'd ever be able to fully block out his emotions, "I just needed a moment. Thanks."

Hiro nodded and smiled, before they moved to catch up with the rest of the group.

"You okay, Riley?" Jill questioned, looking back at her daughter with concern.

" _Ugh, this whole lying thing is lame_ ," Disgust groaned in annoyance.

"I...uh," Riley began to mumble.

"We were just catching our breath," Hiro interjected with an apologetic smile, "These things are pretty heavy."

" _Hello,_ " Joy said in surprise.

"Okay," Jill replied, giving them a small smile of her own, "Be careful with those, you don't want to wear yourself out before your big presentation."

"Don't worry, we're full of energy," Hiro answered as he began trotting past Jill, Riley following him, "Come on, Riley. We don't want to be late!"

As they trotted to where the others had stopped, resting the bins on the ground next to a raised stage near the center of the expo center.

"Thank you," Riley said genuinely as she and Hiro slowed their pace.

"I know you don't like lying to your parents," Hiro answered with a shrug, "I don't blame you for not wanting to tell them. I'm not sure we would have won over Tadashi and the others if Fred hadn't been there to back us up."

" _He's right,_ " Sadness sighed, " _That could have gone so bad._ "

" _We need to be more careful,_ " Fear added.

By then, they had reached the stage and set their bins down next to the other ones.

"You guys ready?" Fred questioned as Hiro and Riley walked over to join the group.

" _I'm getting really sick of that question,_ " Anger grumbled.

"As I'll ever be," Riley shrugged, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"How you feeling?" Tadashi asked, eyeing Hiro as he talked.

"You're talking to an ex-bot fighter here," Hiro replied confidently with a dismissive hand wave, "It takes a lot more than this to rattle me."

"He's really nervous," Riley stated, smiling slightly as Hiro shot a glare her way.

"She's right, he's so tense," Honey commented worriedly.

"No, I'm not," Hiro argued.

"You have nothing to fear, little fella," Fred stated with a reassuring tone.

"Don't worry, Hiro," Honey added, leaning down to be more on his level, "Your tech is amazing, the judges will love it. Tell him, Yuri."

"Do like I said with her," Go Go said, nodding at Riley as she spoke, "Stop whining and woman up. Besides, you could have invented a toaster oven and she'd still look cool showing it off for you."

" _Man, how can someone so cool think we're cool?_ " Disgust questioned as Riley swelled with pride, " _I mean, it's awesome but I still don't get it_."

"I'm fine!" Hiro pressed, a slight whine to his voice.

"What do you need, little man?" Wasabi questioned, "Breath mints, deodorant, fresh pair of underpants?"

"Underpants?" Go Go questioned, placing her hands on her hips as she regarded Wasabi with an almost disgusted look, "You need serious help."

"I like to be prepared," Wasabi argued simply, "You never know when you're going to need a fresh pair of underwear."

"I haven't done laundry in six months," Fred spoke up with a dismissive wave of his hand, "One pair of underwear lasts me four days. First, I wear it normally, then, front to back, then inside out and then finally, front to back again."

There was a pause as everyone stared at Fred in mute shock and horror.

" _What,_ " Disgust said flatly as Riley looked at Fred with wide eyes.

"That's….the most disgusting thing I've ever heard," Tip commented, regarding Fred like she wasn't sure if he was human or not.

"It's called recycling," Fred replied in a patronizing voice.

"I take back everything I just said," Go Go said to Wasabi as the young man turned various shades of green while battling his gag reflex.

"Fred, that's both awesome and horrifying," Tadashi commented with a chuckle.

"Don't encourage him," Go Go stated.

" _Next presenter, Hiro Hamada,_ " a voice declared over the loudspeakers as the lights around the stage began to dim.

"Oh boy, this is it!" Fred declared excitedly.

"I guess we're up," Hiro stated, flashing a nervous smile at Riley, which she returned with equal anxiety.

"Okay, group photo," Honey quickly declared, gathering everyone together before holding her phone up above them, "Everyone say Hiro!"

"Hiro!" the others echoed as Honey snapped the photo.

"We love you guys, good luck!" Honey declared as she quickly began to walk away.

"Don't mess up, Fargo," Go Go grinned, playfully punching Riley in the shoulder as she left.

"Break a leg, little man," Wasabi stated as he followed the others.

"Science, yeah!" Fred shouted as he departed.

"Alright, bro," Tadashi said as he held up his fist to Hiro, "This is it."

Hiro did not reply, causing Tadashi to regard him with concern.

"Come on, don't leave me hanging," Tadashi stated, bringing Hiro's attention to him, "What's going on?"

Hiro thought for a moment, chewing his bottom lip pensively.

"It's just," Hiro paused and sighed before continuing, "I really want to go here."

"Hey, you got this," Tadashi reassured him, reaching down and laying a hand on his little brother's shoulder.

Hiro smiled at his brother's encouragement.

"Besides," Tadashi shrugged as he glanced over his shoulder at Riley, "It's not like you'll be alone up there."

Riley smiled shyly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Knock them dead, Fargo," Tadashi said as he walked past Riley, holding his hand up to allow her to high-five him as he walked past. Riley happily obliged him before turning back towards Hiro.

"So," Hiro said, giving her a nervous smile, "Are you ready?"

" _You know what?_ " Joy questioned rhetorically, " _I think we are._ "

"Yeah," Riley replied, grinning widely, "Let's do it."

A few minutes later, Hiro and Riley were standing side by side on the stage, a microphone clutched in Hiro's hands. The crowd that surrounded the stage was sparse, consisting of their friends and family, the three judges, including Professor Callahan, and a few, half-curious onlookers.

"H-Hello," Hiro greeted with a nervous stutter, his voice broadcasting over the loudspeakers set up around the stage, "I'm-"

The speakers suddenly squealed with feedback, prompting everyone to cringe away in pain as Hiro stepped away from the closest speaker.

" _Oh, this is going terribly,_ " Sadness moaned.

"Sorry," Hiro quickly apologized, licking his dry lip, "I'm Hiro Hamada and this is my friend, Riley Andersen. We wanted to show you something that I've been working on which we think is pretty cool. We hope you like it."

Reaching into his pocket, Hiro pulled out a single microbot and held it up for the small crowd to see.

"This is a microbot," Hiro declared, watching nervously as a few members of the crowd lost interest and wandered away. Hiro glanced nervously at Riley, who was biting her lip nervously. Looking back to the crowd, Hiro spotted Tadashi, who merely smiled at him before urging him to relax and continue. Taking a deep breath, Hiro steeled himself before continuing.

"It doesn't look like much. But when you link it up with a neural transmitter," Hiro said, prompting Riley to take out the transmitter and place it on her head, blinking a few times as the familiar disorientation washed over her, "And the rest of its pals, things get a little more interesting."

" _Okay, here we go_ , _Riley,_ " Joy said, her voice calm, " _Easy does it_. _Just like we've practiced._ "

On cue, Riley closed her eyes and slowly began lifting her hands up, palms facing the ceiling. As she did, the bins sitting next to the stage began to rumble and shift, catching the attention of people in the crowd. A moment later, the bins erupted as all the microbots came spilling out. The microbots seemed to flow from their bins, forming a single, fluid, black mass that crawled up onto the stage and pooled around Riley's feet, looking like they could swallow her whole.

"Working together, the microbots are capable of just about anything you can imagine," Hiro went on.

At the same time, Riley clapped her hands together, causing the microbots to slide under her feet before forming a solid, square platform. Raising her hands up again, the microbots swarmed under her, forming a block tower that grew under her until all the microbots were part of it, leaving Riley standing a few feet of the stage. Riley's actions were swiftly catching other people's attentions and the crowd around the stage was quickly growing.

" _Oh, I hate this part,_ " Fear groaned and Riley could easily imagine him chewing nervously on his nails.

"The microbots are controlled by that neural transmitter," Hiro explained as Riley pulled the transmitter off her head, causing the tower to collapse under her as the inert microbots started falling to the ground. The crowd gasped in surprise as she fell but Riley quickly placed the transmitter back on her head and held her hand out in a cupping motion. The microbots sprung back to life, rapidly forming a cupped hand that caught Riley a few feet off the ground. Riley stood up in the palm of the microbot hand, smiling broadly as the crowd let out a relieved sigh.

" _Nice,_ " Joy beamed.

"Riley thinks what she wants them to do, and they do it," Hiro stated as the hand turned to face the crowd as Riley sat in the crook between the thumb and index finger, waving to the gathered people with the hand mimicking her, causing her to sway back and forth. Riley smiled as her mother waved back and noted a few important looking people had joined the crowd as well.

" _Alright, time for the fun part_ ," Joy said.

"The applications for this tech are limitless," Hiro went on as Riley dissolved the hand, lowering herself to the ground as the microbots pooled around her once more, "Such as construction."

At the prompt, Riley made a shooing motion towards the crowd. The microbots quickly flowed forward, stretching out and over the crowd, groups of microbots forming supports where needed.

"What used to take teams of people working by hand for months and years can now be accomplished by one person," Hiro went on, as Riley worked. Soon enough, she had made a small scale replica of the Toji Gate Bridge which Riley proudly strut across as the crowd gawked up at her, the girl grinning proudly as she turned back towards the stage near the center of the bridge.

"And that's just the beginning," Hiro continued as he walked towards the edge of the stage and took a step off of it, "How about transportation?"

At the same time, Riley motioned towards Hiro with a rising hand, causing a group of microbots to split off and form a column under Hiro's feet that he stepped onto. Riley quickly performed the action again and again, each column higher than the first, allowing Hiro to walk towards the center of the crowd and climb towards the ceiling. At the same time, Riley made a pushing motion with her foot as if she was ice skating. As she did, the microbots climbed around her feet and began rolling, allowing Riley to glide along like they were ice. The bridge she had made quickly dissolved, Riley using them to help Hiro climb higher while also forming a ramp that she slid down, allowing her to go skating along the ground.

"Microbots can move anything, anywhere, with ease," Hiro declared as he reached the large, metal rafters that supported the heavy ceiling. Reaching out his foot, Hiro stepped towards a rafter as Riley made a swirling motion with her hands. The microbots swarmed around Hiro, a portion wrapping around his legs while the rest clung to the rafter. Then, as one, the microbots began to move, climbing up and along the rafter, flipping Hiro upside down as he went while more of their number swarmed up to his hips to hold him secure.

" _They're eating it up!_ " Joy squealed happily.

"If you can think it, microbots can do it, the only limit is your imagination," Hiro stated as the microbots began to lower him further and further until he was hanging just above the crowd. At the same time, Riley was skating along through the crowd on the other microbots, quickly drawing closer to Hiro. As she reached him, Hiro reached down with one arm, allowing Riley to high-five him as she skated under.

" _Okay, here we go, big finale,_ " Joy stated.

Together, the two made their way back to the stage, the microbot swarm lowering Hiro enough so he could flip back to his feet while Riley used the robots she had been skating on to form steps that she used to bound back up onto the stage. With a few waves of her hands, Riley reformed the microbots into a single mass which then quickly took the shape of a giant microbot.

"Thank you for your time and I hope you all enjoyed our presentation," Hiro said with a broad smile before bowing, Riley following suit, which prompted the giant microbot itself to bow as well. As the straightened up, the crowd began to applaud and for a brief moment, Riley allowed her mental shields to relax, to get a brief taste of the joy radiating off the crowd, which only caused her to smile even more brightly.

"That's my nephew!" Riley heard Cass declare ecstatically from the crowd, Bill whistling loudly in encouragement besides her, "I love my family!"

Eventually, the applause died down and the crowd began to disperse once more, many of them buzzing about what they had just witnessed. The others rejoined them as Riley urged the microbots back into the bins and removed the transmitter.

"You guys did it!" Tadashi declared, running up to Hiro and Riley as they left the stage, doing a 'bump and explode' fist bump with both of them.

"That was awesome!" Tip exclaimed happily as she ran up and high-fived both Riley and Hiro.

"Oh, you both did so well!" Cass squealed as she pulled both Hiro and Riley into a bone crushing hug.

"That was so great!" Jill added, giving Riley a hug as well.

"Nice job, kiddo," Bill added, affectionately ruffling Riley's hair.

"Eh, it was alright, I guess," Go Go said with a shrug, before giving Riley a small smile as she bumped fists with the girl.

"You guys just blew my mind!" Fred declared with a laugh.

"They loved you, that was amazing!" Honey exclaimed, practically humming with energy as she held onto Tadashi's arm before she leaned down and gave Hiro a peck on the forehead, "Did you see the people who were watching? You caught a lot of people's attentions with that demonstration."

"Indeed you did," a new voice spoke up, prompting the others to turn to hit, discovering Alistair Krei walking towards him, a young woman who could only be his personal assistant at his side.

" _Oh no,_ " Fear whispered as Riley stared wide eyed at Krei.

"Mr. Krei," Bill said in surprise, completely caught off guard by the other man's appearance.

"Good to see you again, Bill," Alistair said with a friendly smile and handshake, "And it's Alistair, remember? Have to say, wasn't expecting to run into you here."

"My daughter, Riley, is friends with Hiro," Bill explained, on edge, "I'm guessing you just saw his presentation."

"Yes, I did, that was a very impressive demonstration, Mr. Hamada," Alistair said with a charming grin before he turned his attention towards Riley, "Or should I be congratulating you, Ms. Andersen? You clearly knew what you were doing up there."

Riley looked Alistair in the eye as he spoke to her, but her mind kept flashing back to the frightened look Oh had given her on the night he had escaped from Krei Tech, the way he had pleaded for them not to send him back. Something had happened to Oh and, whatever it was, the man standing before her was responsible. Riley barely noticed as her hands curled up into fists.

" _Yeah, I could show you a couple of other things I know, pal,_ " Anger growled, " _Why don't you come over here and check them out?_ "

"Alistair Krei," he said with a charming grin, holding his hand out for Riley to shake, "I work with your father. A pleasure to meet you."

" _Ew, do not shake hands with that sleezeball_ ," Disgust spat.

"I know who you are," Riley responded coldly, her cold blue eyes never leaving his as she made no move to shake his hand, her anger continuing to rise in her chest, not noticing her parents' looks of shock at her rudeness. At that moment, Riley wish she could do something, anything to make Alistair back off. To make him understand why she didn't want to be anywhere near him. To make him know exactly how she felt about him.

" _Oh, what I'd give to be able to go over there and give him a piece of our mind,_ " Anger snarled, " _I'd-_ "

Suddenly, Alistair flinched, blinking in surprise and taking a step back from Riley as if he had been struck. Alistair looked at Riley in confusion for a moment as the girl's brow furrowed, seemingly equally perplexed by the businessman's reaction. At the same time, Riley suddenly felt drained, like she had just finished running a lap around the expo center.

"I….see," Alistair finally said after a moment, awkwardly clearing his throat and slowly pulling his hand back, nervously rubbing his fingers together as he did.

" _Whoa,_ " Anger groaned, his voice tired, " _I feel dizzy_."

" _Anger, are you okay_?" Sadness asked sympathetically.

" _Yeah I just….I need to sit down for a second_ ," Anger mumbled in reply.

" _What….what just happened?_ " Fear questioned, " _What was that?_ "

" _I have no idea,_ " Joy replied, sounding equally confused.

"Anyway," Alistair said, regaining some of his composure, "As I was saying, I saw your presentation, Hiro. Can I call you, Hiro?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Hiro mumbled uncertainly.

"Wonderful," Alistair replied, shooting Hiro a charming grin, "I was watching your presentation and I have to say what you've created is simply amazing. May I see one of your microbots?"

"Uh, sure," Hiro replied, shooting a glance at Riley as he reached into one of the bins and retrieved a single microbot before handing it to Alistair.

"Extraordinary," Alistair said as he held the microbot up to the light so that he could get a better look at it, "Simply extraordinary. You know, I can think of a number of people who would pay large sums of money to have technology like this. Myself included."

"You want to buy my microbots?" Hiro questioned in surprise.

"Of course," Alistair laughed, as if the questioned amused him, "Though I'd much rather buy the mind behind this tech."

"What do you mean?" Hiro questioned in confusion.  
"I want you to come work for me," Alistair explained, "Anyone would pay top dollar to have you come and build your microbots for them and I can promise you that I will beat all of their offers. With some development, your microbots could become revolutionary."

"He's right, Hiro," a new voice spoke up and the others found Professor Callahan walking up to them, stopping next to Alistair as he spoke, "Your microbots are an inspired piece of tech. You could develop them. Or you could sell them to someone who's only guided by his own self-interest."

"Robert," Alistair greeted, the coolness of his voice clashing with the warmth of his smile, "I know how you feel about me, but it shouldn't-"

"This is your decision, Hiro" Robert cut Alistair off and Riley didn't need her powers to see the anger the professor was projecting towards Krei, "But you should know Mr. Krei has cut corners and ignored sound science to get where he is."

"Now, that's just not true," Alistair started to argue, managing to keep his cool. Riley desperately wished she could lower her mental shields enough to get some sense of the emotions the two men were projecting. Just by looking at them, she could tell something was going on.

"I wouldn't trust Krei Tech with your microbots," Robert cut Alistair off again, shooting the man a glare, "Or anything else."

" _Okay, we don't need psychic powers for this one,_ " Disgust commented, " _There's something going on here and it's definitely not good_."

" _The professor's right though,_ " Sadness spoke up, " _We already know what he's capable of. We can't let Hiro sell the microbots to him_."

"Hiro," Alistair spoke up, bringing the boy's attention back to him, "I'm offering you more money than you could imagine. Please, consider this."

Hiro seemed to take a second to weigh his options before he looked over at Riley. Riley met his gaze, her blue eyes locking with his brown ones, and slowly shook her head. Hiro nodded in reply, a look of determination on his face as he turned back to Alistair.

"I appreciate the offer, Mr. Krei," Hiro apologized, though his voice did not have a trace of sympathy, "But I don't think I'm going to be able to sell you my microbots or come work for you."

A flash of annoyance passed over Alistair's features before they formed into a smug smile.

"I thought you were smarter then that," Alistair relented as he turned and began to walk away, "Though it's a shame to watch you waste your potential like that. Let me know when you get bored of academia."

"Mr. Krei," Tadashi spoke up, a serious look on his face as he stepped forward.

"Yes?" Alistair questioned as he glanced over his shoulder at Tadashi.

"I believe that's my brother's," Tadashi stated, his eyes narrowing as he pointed at Alistair's closed hand.

Another flash of annoyance marred Alistair's features before they smoothed into a cool mask, looking down at his now open palm, where the microbot lay.

" _That sneaky theif!_ " Disgust spat as Riley's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, that's right," Alistair replied offhandedly before he turned towards Tadashi and tossed the microbot at him, the young man easily snagging it out of the air, his eyes never leaving Krei. The businessman merely smiled in reply before walking away without another word.

"What a creep," Tip muttered, earning a nod from Riley.

"That was a good choice, Hiro," Robert said with a smile as he reached into his pocket, pulled out a white envelope and handed it to the boy, "I might not be able to give you a fortune, but hopefully this will make up for it somewhat."

"Is this-" Hiro began to say before he quickly took the envelope and tore it open, revealing the invitation to SFIT within, his eyes wide with excitement, "I'm in?"

"You're in," Robert confirmed with a smile and a nod before he began walking away, "I look forward to seeing you in class."

A broad smile spread across Hiro's face as he looked down at the invitation before turning to Riley and the girl didn't need to be an empath to smile back.

" _Man,_ " Joy sighed happily, " _Could this night get any better_?"

A/N: Another nice, long, fun to write chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it! As always, feedback and critiques are always helpful, so please review! Later!


	13. Up in Smoke

**Chapter 13: Up in Smoke**

THiro's group of friends and family were laughing and chatting happily with one another as they made their way out of the expo hall, descending the stairs towards the parking lot.

"I can't believe it," Hiro said, an amazed expression on his face as he looked down at the letter of acceptance still clenched in his hand, "I literally cannot believe it."

"Believe it," Tip spoke up, playfully punching Hiro on the arm, "You earned it."

"People were amazed by the microbots, Hiro," Riley added from Hiro's other side, practically buzzing from the positive emotions that surrounded them as she began to lower her mental shields, "Nobody deserves this more than you."

"Well, I didn't do it by myself," Hiro stated, smiling at Riley.

"Please," Riley replied, rolling her eyes at the boy, "You design and built these things by yourself. All I did was show them off. You deserve everything you get from that."

Hiro continued to smile at Riley while Cass cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention to her.

"Alright, geniuses, how about we feed those brains?" Cass questioned as the group reached the parking lot, "Let's head back to the cafe because dinner's on me!"

A round of cheering came from the younger members of the group as they all began making their way to their respective vehicles. As they did, Tadashi lay a hand on Hiro's shoulder, causing the boy to pause as his brother led him to the side.

"Aunt Cass!" Tadashi spoke up, catching Cass' attention, "We'll catch up, okay?"

"Sure!" Cass replied, before grinning as she rushed over to her nephews' sides and pulled them both into a hug, "Oh, I'm so proud of the both of you."

"Thanks, Aunt Cass," the brothers said in unison, smiling at their aunt as she released them and made her way back over to the group. After she had left, Tadashi signaled for Hiro to follow him. Together, the brothers took a short walk out of the parking lot and into a small park near the expo hall.

As Hiro and Tadashi left, Riley watched them from over her shoulder, smiling as she went. As such, she almost bumped into her father when she suddenly found him standing in front of her.

"Oh, uh, hey Dad," Riley greeted before her expression turned concerned as she felt a number of conflicting emotions radiating from her father, "What's up?"

"I…." Bill paused, taking a breath he continued, "I wanted to talk about something."

" _Uh oh,_ " Fear mumbled.

"Um, sure," Riley replied, confusion knotting in her chest, "What about?"

"Back there….with Mr. Krei," Bill paused again, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment, "You know who he is, right?"

" _Yeah, that's easy,_ " Disgust spoke up, " _He's a dirtbag_."

"He….He's your boss," Riley answered, averting her gaze as she realized where the conversation was going.

"That's right," Bill confirmed with a nod, "And if you know that, I'm guessing you know how rude you were being."

" _You think that was rude?_ " Anger questioned, " _Oh, you haven't seen anything, pops_."

"Bill…." Jill began to say, concern in her voice, but stopped as Bill raised his a hand, his eyes on Riley.

"I….I'm sorry for being rude to your boss," Riley said, before looking up and locking her eyes defiantly with her father's, "But only because I don't want you to get into trouble. I'm not sorry for what I said to him."

"And why's that?" Bill questioned, his voice neutral.

"I've….heard things about him," Riley explained hesitantly, "From people like Professor Callaghan and….and others. From what I've heard, he's done some underhanded things in the past to get where he is. He's probably still doing them. He tried to steal one of Hiro's microbots! You saw him!"

Riley straightened up as she locked eyes with her father again.

"He's not a good person, Dad," Riley stated, almost challenging Bill to argue with her.

Bill held Riley's gaze for a moment before a small smile crept across his face and he let out a soft sigh.

"Perhaps he's not," Bill agreed with a nod, "I know I've noticed things that seem a bit fishy."

"Y-You have?" Riley questioned in surprise, caught off guard by her father's change in demeanor.

"Nothing big, but enough to put me on edge," Bill answered, "Seeing what he tried to do tonight certainly hasn't helped."

"Then….then why do you work for him?" Riley questioned in confusion.

"If I had my choice, I wouldn't, but I didn't choose to work for him, Riley," Bill explained, "He bought my company. If I don't work for him, I'll lose my job and then how will get by? Sometimes, as an adult, you have to make compromises. Sometimes, it's the only way you can get by."

Riley's face fell as she conceded the point.

" _Oh no!_ " Sadness moaned, " _What if he loses his job because of us?_ "

"I….I never wanted you to get in trouble, Dad," Riley said, her eyes falling to her feet, "I just…"

"Hey, don't worry," Bill said reassuringly, placing a comforting hand on Riley's shoulder, "I'm not going to get into trouble. And if I did, well, I certainly wouldn't want to work with someone who holds grudges against twelve year old girls."

"But you said…" Riley started to reply, confusion plain on her face.

"You do have to learn to make compromises," Bill reaffirmed, "But only up to a point. It's even more important to stand by your principals. I'm proud of you for sticking with yours."

Riley could only smile at her father as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his stomach in a hug.

Meanwhile, Tadashi led Hiro over to a small bridge that crossed a man-made pond at the center of the park, leaning on the railing and looking out over the campus.

"I know what you're going to say," Hiro said smugly as he leaned against the railing as well before putting on a bad imitation of Tadashi's voice, "I should be proud of myself for finally using my intellect for something important."

"No, no, I was just going to tell you your fly was down the whole show," Tadashi replied with a smirk.

"Ha, ha, hilarious," Hiro replied sarcastically before looking down, letting out a small squeak of shock and zipping his fly up, causing Tadashi to laugh. After Hiro had collected himself, he hit his brother on the shoulder and the two fell into a comfortable silence.

"Welcome to nerd school," Tadashi congratulated, smiling as he looked over the SFIT campus before turning his eyes back to Hiro, "Nerd."

"I….I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you," Hiro stated, looking like he was having trouble expressing what he was trying to say, "So, thanks for not giving up on me."

Tadashi smiled and looked like he was going to say something more but a sound caught his attention, a siren blaring from a short distance away. Turning around, he look back at the expo hall and gasped, prompting Hiro to look as well as the siren began mixing with the panicked screams of dozens of people. Hiro's eyes widened and his jaw went slack at the sight that loomed before him.

The expo hall was on fire, flames dancing within as smoke poured out of the windows and rose into the night sky. People ran from the building, a wild mob whose single purpose was to escape the danger behind it.

Tadashi regained his wits first, his expression shifting into a resolute mask that just barely concealed the fear he was feeling. Without a word, he went running back towards the burning expo hall, Hiro following on his heels as the boy snapped back to reality. As they reached the parking lot, the two began looking around wildly as the crowd of panicked people pushed past them.

"Tadashi!" Honey's voice cut through the sounds of chaos that surrounded them, catching the brothers' attentions, "Hiro!"

Looking towards the source of the voice, Hiro and Tadashi found Honey and the rest of their friends and family standing in the parking lot a safe distance away from the burning building. The brothers quickly raced over, looks of relief passing over the rest of the groups' faces.

"Oh, thank God you're alright," Cass said as she stepped forward and pulled both Tadashi and Hiro into tight hugs.

"Is everyone okay?" Tadashi questioned worriedly as he stepped away from Cass, only for Honey to step forward and hug him while planting a quick kiss on his lips.

"We're okay," Bill assured the young man.

"What happened?" Hiro asked as a relieved Riley gave him a quick hug.

"We don't know," Go Go answered with a helpless shrug, "It just….went up like a tinderbox."  
"Oh my God!" a shrieking voice cut through the night, catching all of their attentions, "He's still in there! Professor Callaghan is still in there!"

A look of shock passed through the group as they turned to look at the burning building, watching as only a few people stumbling through the smoke and away from the ruin that was once the expo hall.

Tadashi stared at the building for a long moment, the fire casting dancing shadows across his face. As he did, Riley looked up at him, the fear of the people surrounding her screaming like a typhoon as it ripped her mental shields to shreds. Her face was ashen and one white-knuckled fist was clenched to her chest as her pounding heart threatened to leap from her body. But as she looked at Tadashi, Riley felt the young man push his fear down beneath a stoic wall of courage and determination. At that moment, Riley realized what Tadashi was about to do.

" _Oh my God,_ " Fear whispered in her head, her other emotions having gone silent as Riley reached out with her other hand and gripped Hiro's hand tightly. Hiro turned and looked at the girl in confusion for a moment, before following Riley's gaze just in time to see Tadashi start moving towards the expo hall.

"What are you doing!?" Honey questioned, her voice on the edge of panic as she grabbed onto Tadashi's sleeve.

"Robert's still in there," Tadashi answered, his voice quiet and firm as he took Honey's hand into his and gave it a squeeze, "Someone has to do something."

"That's what firefighters are for, son," Bill argued, Jill clutching desperately at his arm.

"They'll never get here in time," Tadashi replied, "If we don't do something now, he'll die!"

With that, Tadashi turned and began running towards the expo hall, only for Cass to latch onto his arm.

"No!" Cass shouted, the firelight reflecting off of the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes at any moment, "No! You are staying right here!"

"Aunt Cass, I have to help him!" Tadashi argued, "He's in danger!"

"So are you!" Cass snapped, "I can't let you do this. When she died, I swore to your mother that I would protect you, Tadashi. I gave my word!"

Tadashi stared at his aunt for a moment before taking her hand into his and squeezing it with both hands.

"And I give you mine," Tadashi assured her, "I'll be okay."

And with that, Tadashi Hamada turned and ran, faster than anyone who could stop him.

"Tadashi, no!" Hiro shouted as he ran after his brother, rushing past his aunt who stood in stunned silence. Tadashi paid no heed to his brother's cries as he raced towards the burning building, his speed causing his hat to fly off his head as he bound up the stairs. The hat landed at Hiro's feet just as some of the others caught up to him and stopped him from following his brother into the flames.

Tadashi hissed as he reached the expo hall entrance, the heat radiating off of the roaring flames so intense that the young man was briefly worried his skin would melt right off his face. Lifting up his jacket, Tadashi shielded his face and exposed skin the best he could and plunged into the furnace that the expo hall had become.

"Professor Callaghan!" Tadashi called, coughing as he did his best to not inhale the smoke that clouded the inside of the building, the snap and pops of the fire surrounding him making it difficult to hear, "Robert! Can you hear me!?"

Tadashi stumbled about, coughing as he searched, the angry glare of the fire and clawing black smoke making it almost impossible to see. Eventually though, Tadashi spotted a figure a short distance away and hope began rising in his chest.

"Professor!" Tadashi cried as he approached, "Professor Callaghan, it's-"

Tadashi froze as he came close enough to see the figure clearly. The figure had indeed been Robert, who now stood before Tadashi with the microbots pooled around his feet and the neural transmitter held in his hands. Robert spun around as he heard Tadashi approach, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Tadashi!" he gasped, "What are you doing here!? It's too dangerous!?"

"What….what are you doing?" Tadashi questioned, confusion written across his face, "Why do you have…"

Tadashi trailed off as realization struck him, shock coloring his features as he narrowed his eyes at Robert.

"You….You set the fire," Tadashi stated, his hands clenching into fists, his confusion giving way to betrayal, "Why? So you can steal my brother's invention!?"

"Tadashi, you have to get out of here," Robert urged, hissing as a plume of flame shot up nearby.

"Answer me!" Tadashi snapped, glaring at Robert.

"I-" Robert began to say before his face went pale and his eyes widened as he looked at something behind Tadashi, "Wait, don't!"

Before Tadashi could react, something hard and heavy struck him on the back of the head, causing his vision to flash white as the young man fell to the ground. Tadashi's ears rang and the world seemed to spin around him while his skull throbbed in agony. Grunting in pain, Tadashi began trying to pick himself off of the floor, his vision blurry as he blinked his eyes rapidly.

"...did you do that!?" Tadashi heard Robert shout, though his voice sounded muffled and far away.

"You are fakings the deads, correct?" another voice said as Tadashi felt someone walk past him and drop a metal pipe onto the ground, though he couldn't lift his head enough to get a look at the person who had struck him, "You cannot be deads if someone is knowings you is alive."

"I know him," Robert argued as Tadashi pushed himself up onto his knees and elbows, his pounding head still hanging towards the ground, "He's a good man. He was trying to save me, I can't just-"

"You are hasing a choice, Professor Robert Callaghan," the other voice sneered, "Him...or her."

There was a pause as Tadashi lifted his head up, but his spinning vision and the heat from the flames made it impossible for him to see anything more than a few blobs of color floating in front of him.

"Damn you," Robert growled, "God damn you."

"Oh, it amuses me that you claim to be a man of the science but cling to such silly superstitions," the other voice said with a chuckle as Tadashi managed to get his feet under him, "This is why we are being superior."

Standing up, Tadashi managed to keep his balance as he head and vision continued to swim. He thought he saw Robert look in his direction but that didn't matter now. The only thing that mattered was getting out of the building while he still could.

Tadashi Hamada turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

"What!?" Tadashi heard the second voice cry out in alarm, muted by an explosion that happened somewhere on the other side of the show floor.

"Run, Tadashi!" Robert shouted after the young man as a second, larger explosion shook the building, "Run!"

Tadashi ran harder and faster than he ever had in his young life. His legs burned almost as much as the hot air that surrounded him and his lungs spasmed painfully as his quickened breaths dragged choking smoke into them. The wound on the back of his head pounded against his skull like a jackhammer and flames snatched and grabbed at him hungrily. His vision continued to blur and it was only his sense of direction that took back towards the expo hall's entrance. But Tadashi ran all the same.

The fear that gripped his heart began to lessen as he found himself approaching the entrance. The glass doors stood before him and Tadashi could almost smell the cool, fresh air beyond. He was going to make it! He was going to-

The third, most powerful explosion ripped through the expo hall, unleashing a concussive wave that shook the building to its foundations. An immense fireball roared out of the structure, shattering every window as plumes of flames stretched out towards the night sky.

Tadashi Hamada did not make it out of the building. He never heard his brother screaming his name as he tried to get into the expo hall, forcing Wasabi to physically lift him off of the ground to stop him. He was never aware of his aunt wailing in heartbroken agony as tears streamed down her face. He never saw Honey collapse to the ground in shock, a lost and hopeless look on her face. Tadashi Hamada never witnessed any of this.

But Riley Andersen did.

Riley witnessed every last one of these moments as she clung desperately to her mother. She saw every look of anguish, heard every cry of sorrow and felt untold amounts of fear and sadness. Every reaction to the tragedy was hers to know and experience, felt dozens upon dozens of times over, all of it branded into her mind by an inferno of agony.

Riley Andersen stared at the burning building, her blue eyes seeing everything and nothing and somewhere deep inside her, a glowing blue and purple orb of cracked glass rolled down a chute and came to a stop with a soft clink.

A/N: Short chapter but I think that helps it more than hurts it. Certainly had a powerful effect on me as I was writing it, hope it had one on you guys as well. Also, I will be going on a trip this coming week, so nobody freak out when you don't hear from me. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	14. Funeral for a Friend

**Chapter 14: Funeral for a Friend**

Heavy, grey clouds hung over San Fransokyo, casting the whole city in a dreary light, threatening rain at any moment. No place in the city reflected this atmosphere more than the graveyard sitting next to an old, white church in one of the city's residential neighborhoods where a funeral procession had gathered around an open grave.

Riley stood near the front of the group with her parents. Much like everyone else, she was dressed all in black, a simple dress with matching tights and shoes, her hair held back from her face by a black ribbon. Riley stared blankly at the dark brown, wood casket that hung suspended over the grave, ready to be lowered once the priest had finished his prayer. Her blue eyes were unfocused, looking but not truly seeing, her mind's eye focused on images of roaring fires, her ears filled with phantom screams.

" _Riley?_ " Joy's voice sounded like a whisper over the other sounds within the girl's mind, " _Riley, can you hear me?_ "

Riley did not respond in any way.

" _Come on, Riley, talk to me_ ," Joy pleaded, but her voice was quickly swallowed by the sounds of Hiro screaming his brother's name.

" _Dammit, can't you get that thing under control!?_ " Anger snapped.

" _Like I've been telling you guys since this started, my panel's on the fritz!_ " Fear called back.

" _So are ours, but you don't see them overriding everything_ ," Disgust pointed out.

" _This isn't the normal way it works though!_ " Fear moaned, confusion evident in his voice, " _My panel is sending all of these signals out but she's not reacting to them any more than she's reacting to any of yours._ "

" _It's like that depression stuff again,_ " Disgust observed with an aggravated sigh, " _But….but it's different too. I don't get it._ "

" _It's trauma,_ " Sadness explained, " _She's trying to process what happened. Everything's overloaded until she can do that_."

" _Is there any way we can help?_ " Joy questioned, hopefully.

" _I...I don't know,_ " Sadness admitted hesitantly, " _The only reason she has so much emotional data to process is because of her empathy. The system wasn't built for this, and there aren't any manuals that can help._ "

" _Well…Well, maybe you can do something,_ " Joy suggested nervously, " _I mean, you were able to unblock the problem that was causing the depression. Could you relieve some of the emotional data by making her cry or something?_ "

" _I've been trying!_ " Sadness exclaimed and Riley could almost see the frustrated tears in the emotions eyes, " _I've tried everything I can, but she won't respond to me anymore than she's been responding to any of you! I'm...I'm a failure._ "

" _It's okay, Sadness, you're not a failure,_ " Joy said with a comforting tone, " _We'll figure something out. There has to be something we can do._ _There has to be_."

By then, the priest had finished his prayer, his Bible held closed in his folded hands. As they began to lower the casket into the ground, Riley felt a drop of rain splatter against the top of her head. Raising her face towards the sky, Riley felt another drop splash against her face, the rainwater slowly running down her cheek as more began to fall. Blinking in surprise, Riley lowered her face and began looking around at the gathered crowd as they all started to wordlessly open their umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain.

Next to her parents stood Tip and Lucy, the woman holding her daughter close with one hand while holding her umbrella above them both with the other. Next to them were Riley's friends, each dressed for the funeral. Fred stood with his head bowed, his hat removed and his hair hanging limply around his face. Go Go stood next to him, biting her lip and holding herself tightly in an effort to keep the tears that were welling up in her eyes from spilling down her face. Honey, on the other hand, had lost all sense of control, openly weeping as she leaned against Wasabi for support, her long hair done up in a messy bun. Wasabi, for his part, was doing the best he could to comfort Honey, holding an umbrella above both of them with one hand while wrapping his other arm around her shoulders in a one-armed hug.

Past them, Hiro and Cass stood together. Cass stood behind her nephew, her hand resting on his shoulder, her hand clutch tightly to his suit jacket. Her other hand was covering her mouth, trying to obscure the look of utter sorrow on her face as tears streamed down her cheeks and her body was wracked by sobs. Hiro stared at the coffin as it was swallowed up by the earth, a lost and frustrated look on his face, angrily wiping tears away from his eyes.

Riley observed all of it, watched all the pain and sorrow pour out of the mourners surrounding her and felt none of it.

 _Later,_

Wasabi stood outside the Lucky Cat Cafe, dressed in his regular clothes and looking up at the sign with a mixture of moroseness and trepidation. The funeral had been hours ago and night had fallen, but rain continued to drizzle down from the clouds above. Sighing, he ran a hand across his face and glanced at his van sitting in the driveway not far away before he stepped into the cafe, the bell above the door jingling as it swung open.

"Hello?" Cass called as she began to walk out from the back, "I-I'm sorry but we're actually-"

Cass paused behind the counter as she saw Wasabi, a look of confusion passing briefly over her features before being replaced by a look of understanding.

"Darron," Cass greeted, taking a moment to rub her red-rimmed eyes with one hand before looking at the young man, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you."

"It's okay," Wasabi replied gently as he glanced back at the door, "I can….I can come back later if you'd prefer?"

"No, no," Cass answered quickly, shaking her hand at Wasabi, "You should collect those things. I don't want it to hurt your school performance because you left something here."

"Thank you," Wasabi said quietly, averting his eyes from Cass as he spoke.

"I'll let you in, just follow me," Cass said as she began making her way out of the cafe.

"N-No, that's really okay," Wasabi replied, quickly holding his hands out in front of him and waving them about in an effort to stop Cass, "I-I know my way into the garage and I know exactly where the thing I'm looking for is."

"You sure?" Cass asked in concerned confusion, "It's really know trouble."

"I've got it," Wasabi replied, "I only came in here because it would have been weird just walking into your garage without saying something."

"I appreciate that," Cass said with a small smile, "For the last few weeks, I've been hearing weird noises coming from in there. I'm sure it's a squirrel or something but sometimes I swear I can hear someone talking."

There was a pause in the conversation as Wasabi looked at Cass with wide eyes before he abruptly broke out into loud laughs that seemed absurdly forced. Wasabi laughed like this for a few seconds before abruptly cutting himself off as Cass blinked at him in confusion.

"Y-Yeah, that's weird," Wasabi mumbled while Cass quirked an eyebrow at him before shaking her head.

"Right," Cass said with a small chuckle, "You know, I'm actually surprised that you left something here. You're usually so careful about….well, everything."

"Yeah, well, it happens to the best of us," Wasabi replied, rubbing the back of his neck as he gave a half-hearted smile.

"It does," Cass agreed, her smile fading as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Thank you for coming today. I know….it meant a lot."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Wasabi replied honestly, his expression full of sincerity, "None of us would have."

"I know but still….thank you," Cass repeated, giving Wasabi a heartfelt smile.

Wasabi smiled and nodded at her before his eyes drifted to the stairs that led to the apartment above.

"How's Hiro?" Wasabi questioned as he turned his gaze back to Cass in time to watch her face fall.

"He's still not talking to anyone," Cass answered, rubbing her arm as she looked at the stairs, "Not even to me."

"He'll come around," Wasabi tried to reassure her, "He just needs time."

"I hope so," Cass replied, sighing before turning back to Wasabi, "You sure you're okay to find it by yourself?"

"Positive," Wasabi replied with a nod as he opened the cafe door and began to step outside, "I'd hate to bother you any more than I already have."

"Alright," Cass relented with a nod, "Have a good night, Darron."

"You too, Cass," Wasabi echoed with a smile and nod of his own, closing the door behind him. Stepping out onto the sidewalk, Wasabi sighed and laid his hands on his hips while watching as Cass locked the door behind him before heading up the stairs to the apartment. Sighing again, Wasabi ran a hand through his dreadlocks before he started making his way to the garage.

Leaning down, Wasabi lifted the garage door open and pushed it up until it locked into place with a click. Reaching over to the light switch, Wasabi flicked it on before resting his hands on his hips as he surveyed the inside of the garage. Had it really been less than two weeks since he had been in there? As he looked around at the couches and workbenches, it felt like he hadn't been there in a lifetime. In a way, he hadn't.

Wasabi closed his eyes and shook his head briskly, banishing his morose thoughts like dust from an unused shelf. As he opened his eyes, Wasabi scanned the dark corners of the garage, searching for what he had come for.

"Oh?" Wasabi whispered, not daring to raise his voice for fear of alerting Cass, "It's Darron. You there?"

After a moment, a square, alien head peeked out from behind the couch before Oh came fully into view.

"Hello, Darron Waylons," Oh greeted with a friendly smile, "I was the hiding because I was not to be expecting to see someone this lates."

"Yeah, sorry," Wasabi replied, "This is the best time to move you."

"Move me?" Oh questioned in confusion, "Why am I being physically displaced?"

"We had talked about moving you before," Wasabi explained, "I live by myself, so it will be easier to hide you at my place. And with everything that's happened."

"Oh….yes…." Oh replied, turning blue as he squeezed his hands together in an uncomfortable gesture, "You are correct. Your living abode will be the superior option."

"Glad you agree," Wasabi said with a nod before motioning to his van, "Come on, nobody's around so let's do this while we can."

Oh nodded in agreement, crawling into the passenger seat as Wasabi walked over to the driver's side after closing the garage door. Soon enough, Wasabi had started up the van and pulled away from the cafe, the silence between him and Oh broken only by the steady drizzle of rain.

"Darron Waylons, may I be asking you a question?" Oh asked after a few quiet minutes of driving.

"Sure, what is it?" Darron questioned, looking over at Oh as he pulled up to a red light.

"How does a human mourn?" Oh questioned, looking up at Wasabi earnestly.

"How do we mourn?" Wasabi echoed as he pulled away from the stoplight.

"Yes," Oh confirmed with a nod, "For instance, we Boov do not usually take part in sessions of group mourning. The topography of our home planet made is so Boov were normally solitary creatures. As such, in general, a Boov must mourn for his or herself."

"How does that work?" Wasabi questioned, arching an eyebrow even though his eyes were focused on the road in front of him.

"We perform the Song of Death," Oh explained.

"The Song of Death?" Wasabi asked, arching his eyebrow even higher.

Without another word, Oh stood up in his seat and began an undulating, high-pitched wail. At the same time, Oh waved his wiggling arms above his head as his skin began rapidly shifting between purple and yellow. The sudden change in the alien's demeanor caught Wasabi completely by surprise, causing the young man to jump in his seat and jerk the steering wheel to the side. Quickly gripping the steering wheel with two hands, Wasabi jerked it back towards the road, narrowly missing a lightpost, the momentum sending Oh tumbling to the floor in front of his seat.

"It is very rude to interrupt the Song of Death," Oh pointed out as he climbed back into his seat.

"Yeah, well, I was about to start singing my own Song of Death right there," Wasabi replied, taking deep breathes in an effort to calm his rapidly beating heart, "Warn a guy the next time you're going to do that. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Is it bad to have an attack of the heart?" Oh questioned.

"Very," Wasabi answered as he recomposed himself, "And, to answer your other question, humans have a variety of ways in which we mourn. Some, I think, aren't too far off from yours."

"How do you mourn, Darron Waylans?" Oh inquired, giving the young man an earnest expression that he regarded out of the corner of his eye.

"You wear black," Wasabi explained after a moment's pause, chewing his lip as he spoke, "You gather together with the person's other loved ones. You say your goodbyes to them. And then you bury them."

"I see," Oh replied with a nod, a thoughtful look on his face, "It must be done to fend of scavengers."

"Um yeah, fend off scavengers," Wasabi replied as he continued to drive the van through the rainy night, unable to not think that the Boov had missed the point.

 _Later_ ,

The tiny bell above the door of the Lucky Cat Cafe jingled as Jill Andersen entered the small restaurant. Adjusting her glasses, Jill sighed as she looked around the cafe, noting the handful of people scattered around the room. One person in particular caught her eye.

"Pamela?" Jill questioned as she walked over to Honey, who was standing behind the counter with her attention focused downward, her long hair done up in a messy bun while she wore an apron over her black shirt and khaki pants. Honey looked up at Jill, blinking her eyes in surprise at the sound of her own name.

"Jill?" Honey questioned before she seemed to snap herself out of whatever stupor she had been in, sliding whatever she had been looking at off of the counter and into her pocket, "Oh Jill, hello, good morning!"

"Do you work here now?" Jill asked in confusion as she stepped up to the counter, quirking an eyebrow at the younger woman. As she drew closer, Jill was able to note that Honey had gone without makeup that day, allowing the bags under her red-rimmed eyes to be seen. Jill also noticed that the young woman's clothes were creased and wrinkled and she briefly wondered if Honey had slept in them.

"N-No, not really at least," Honey admitted with a shake of her head, "I usually work at a coffee place near campus, but….with everything that's been going on….Cass needed some help, so I-I volunteered."

"That's very nice of you, Pam," Jill replied with a smile, I'm sure Cass appreciates it."

"More than you know," Cass stated as she stepped out from the backroom, looking slightly less disheveled than Honey did, "How are you, Jill?"

"I should be asking you that," Jill replied, a look of concern on her face as she spoke.

"I'm….I'm alright, I suppose" Cass replied, grief and pain flashing across her features for a moment, "Some days are worse than other but I think it's getting better, little by little."

"That's good," Jill smiled before quickly sliding back to concern, "What about Hiro?"

"Hiro….Hiro's been keeping to himself lately," Cass answered as her shoulder's slumped, "He spends most of his time in his room, barely even talks to anyone. I-I don't even know if he'll be going to school when it starts back up."

"I'm sure he'll come around," Jill said, trying to reassure her.

"I hope," Cass replied, before biting her lip nervously, "How's Riley?"

"Riley…." Jill stiffened at the questioned but pushed forward, "Riley is….having a hard time with it all. She….hasn't been going to school lately either."

"She's strong," Honey spoke up, drawing Jill's attention to her, "She'll pull through. She just needs help."

"Then I'm glad she's friends with someone like you," Jill stated, giving Honey a warm smile.

"I-I'm just trying to do my best," Honey replied with a weak smile of her own, "Do you want your usual, Jill?"

"Of course," Jill answered with a nod, her expression turning uncertain.

"I'll get that for you right away," Honey replied, and as she turned to go, Jill noticed that the young woman's hands had started to shake.

"Take your time," Jill stated with a gentle voice, "There's no rush."

"Oh don't worry," Honey replied as she grabbed one of the cafe's ceramic cups before bringing it over to the espresso machine and starting it up, "I've done this a million-"

Honey cut herself off with a gasp of pain, quickly followed by the sound of the cup smashing against the floor, the ceramic shattering into a dozen pieces. Jill covered her mouth in shock and concern as Cass rushed over to Honey's side, the young woman taking a few quick steps away from the espresso machine while clutching a hand to her chest.

"Honey, are you alright?" Cass questioned, placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder while trying to get a better look at her hand.

"I-I just burnt myself a little," Honey replied will chewing on her bottom lip, "I-I was stupid. I'll get this cleaned up and-"

"You'll do no such thing," Cass argued, reaching down to take Honey's hands so that she could get a better look at the young woman's injury, "You'll-"

Cass paused as she took hold of Honey's hands, slowly lifting her eyes to look at the young woman's face with worry.

"Honey," Cass said gently, "You're shaking."

"I-I'm fine," Honey tried to argue, her voice hitching in her throat, "I just need to-"

"Why don't you come sit down with me, Pam?" Jill suggested, beaconing Honey over to her, "Take a quick break?"

Honey looked at Jill uncertainly before slowly turning to regard Cass, the older woman giving her a small smile and a nod.

"I'll get both of you something," Cass stated, "You go and sit down for a minute or two, okay?"

"O-Okay," Honey replied as she turned back to Jill and slowly nodded her head. Honey walked around the counter and over to Jill, the older woman wrapping an arm gently around the young woman's shoulders and led her over to one of the empty tables. Honey slowly lowered herself into the chair Jill pulled out for her, her hands still clutched to her chest.

"You haven't been sleeping," Jill stated as she sat down in the chair next to Honey.

"I-I'm sorry?" Honey mumbled in confusion as she raised her gaze to meet Jill's.

"You haven't been sleeping much since….since the fire, have you?" Jill questioned, sympathy written across her face.

Honey held Jill's gaze for a moment before lowering her eyes and slowly shaking her head.

"No…." Honey confirmed, her voice barely above a whisper, "I can't."

"You can't?" Jill questioned in confusion.

"If I fall asleep," Honey started to say, pausing as she blinked her eyes rapidly, as if she was fighting to keep them open, "If I so much as close my eyes, I'll be back there."

"At the fire," Jill provided and Honey nodded in agreement.

"I'll be back there…." Honey explained, raising her eyes to meet Jill's again, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks at a moment's notice, "I'll be back there and I'll have to watch him die again."

"So, you've been forcing yourself to stay awake," Jill surmised, an almost pained look on her face, "Is that why you're here?"

"I'm-I'm useless in the lab like this," Honey explained, "And the cafe at school won't let me work as much as Cass does. Plus it's easy access to stimulants."

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Pam," Jill said worriedly, "You're going to run yourself ragged."

"It's better than the alternative!" Honey snapped, causing Jill to slightly pull back in alarm as a distraught expression passed over the young woman's features, "Sorry….I'm so sorry."

"It's alright," Jill reassured her, "But that just proves my point. Have you considered going back home? I'm sure your family would love to see you during your break from school."

"N-No," Honey replied with a shake of her head, "My….I'm from east LA and my family….they don't have a lot of money. I….I don't have the money for a bus ticket and they….they….my family….they weren't expecting me anyway."

"Still, I can't believe with everything that happened they…." Jill trailed off as realization struck her, "They don't know what happened, do they?"

"Nothing the news wouldn't have told them. Besides what's the point, I…." Honey paused as her voice hitched again while she took off her glasses and wiped a stray tear from her eye, "I never got to tell them about him anyway."

"Pam, you should tell them," Jill insisted, "I'm sure your parents would want to know about this."

"It would only worry them," Honey replied with a shake of her head as she put her glasses back on.

Jill sighed in defeat before she thought for a moment, watching Honey as the young woman's mind drifted.

"What were you looking at when I came in?" Jill questioned.

"Excuse me?" Honey asked in confusion as she snapped back to reality.

"You were looking at something on your phone when I came in," Jill clarified, "I was just wondering what it was. As long as I'm not prying, that is."

"No, no, it's fine, I was…." Honey trailed off before pulling her phone out of her pocket and powering it on before handing it to Jill, "Here."

Looking at the phone, Jill saw that honey had pulled up a photo. The image displayed Honey and Tadashi standing together somewhere near the bay, Honey holding the camera out in front of them. In the picture, Honey was without her glasses and Tadashi's hat was perched atop her head. The picture captured the moment as Tadashi had evidently leaned down and kissed Honey on the cheek, an expression of surprise delight captured on the young woman's face. Jill couldn't help but smile at the image.

"That was….that was our first date," Honey explained as Jill looked up from the phone and handed it back to its owner, "It was….it was the first time he'd kissed me….it was the first time anyone had ever kissed me."

At that moment, Honey's shoulder's began to shake as she let out a few choked sobs, tears streaming down her face.

"I-I don't know what I'm going to do," Honey sobbed, struggling to breath through her tears, "He was….he was everything t-to me. He was my first k-kiss, my first….my first….oh God, I loved him so much!"

With that, Honey broke down crying, pulling her glasses off so that she could weep into her hands. For a moment, Jill looked at Honey with an expression of shock and sympathy before her motherly instincts took over. Reaching over, Jill wrapped her arms around Honey's shoulders and gently pulled the young woman towards her, the other woman offering no resistance to the action. As Jill pulled Honey into a hug, the young woman buried her face into the other woman's shoulder, clutching on to Jill's shirt as she cried uncontrollably. Jill, for her part, rubbed Honey's back gently while whispering soothing words in the young woman's ear, even as she fought back the tears welling up in her own eyes.

 _Later,_

The SFIT fitness center was open twenty-four hours a day, allowing its students to make use of the facility at whatever time their odd hours allowed them too. Even so, like any place, the fitness center had its peak hours and the hours when it was all but abandoned, such as around midnight during the break between fall and spring semesters. A time that was perfect for Go Go's use.

Go Go stood in the room that took up the lowest level of the fitness center, a large, rectangular room with bare, concrete walls and a dark blue, linoleum floor, part of which was covered in black padding. Go Go stood by a large, heavy punching bag hanging from a chain attached to the low ceiling, other equipment such as a speed bag and a training dummy sitting nearby.

Go Go was dressed in her workout clothes, a black, formfitting tank top with yellow lining along with black, capri-length yoga pants and black sneakers with yellow laces. She wore a pair of fingerless, padded gloves, also black lined with yellow and her hair was pulled back and away from her neck, her purple-highlighted locks bunched together by a hair clip.

With a grunt, Go Go threw a fist at the punching bag, her gloved knuckles striking the object with a dull thud. Go Go quickly followed up with a low shot from her other fist, droplets of sweat that had gathered on her skin flecking off from the force of the impact. Go Go threw a dozen more shots at the bag, each blow punctuated by a grunt of exertion that grew louder with every punch. Taking a quick step back, Go Go threw a kick at the back, her leg stretching until the blow landed above her head. Spinning around, Go Go drove her elbow into the bag, the creak of the supporting chains drowned out by the young woman's loud, almost angry shout. Letting out an angry snarl, Go Go spun to face forward again before leaping into the air and driving her knee into the bag as it swung back towards her, the force of the blow reversing the bag's momentum and sending it swinging a full foot away from her.

"Wow," a voice said, startling Go Go, prompting her to catch the punching bag as it swung back towards her and turn towards the source of the voice, "Does it owe you money or something?"

Behind Go Go, near the entrance to the room, was Wasabi, dressed in a lime green sweater and khaki cargo shorts. He gave Go Go an awkward, nervous smile that she did not return.

"What do you want, Wasabi?" Go Go questioned as she tried to catch her breath.

"I was looking for you," Wasabi answered with a shrug as he glanced away from her.

"How'd you find me?" Go Go asked, quirking an eyebrow at Wasabi as she walked away from the bag and scooped a sports bottle up off of the floor.

"I know this is when you like to go to the gym," Wasabi answered, "Your motorcycle in the empty parking lot was kind of a dead give away too."

"You didn't answer my question from before," Go Go pointed out after a long drink from the sports bottle, "What do you want?"

"I was checking up on you," Wasabi explained, "I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Well, here I am, all okay and stuff," Go Go stated as she wiped her face off with a towel, "Mission accomplished."

"You know that's not what I was talking about," Wasabi said with an annoyed tone, his brow furrowing.

"Then what are you talking about, Darron?" Go Go questioned in frustration as she tossed her towel onto the floor and turned to fully face Wasabi.

"Nobody has seen you in weeks, Yuri," Wasabi answered, "Not since Tadashi's funeral."

"I've been busy," Go Go replied quickly, glancing away from Wasabi as she spoke.

"Busy avoiding us," Wasabi countered, his eyes narrowing.

"It's not like that!" Go Go snapped, turning her gaze back towards Wasabi so she could glare at him.

"Then what's it like?" Wasabi pushed, "A person isn't an island, you need-"

"Oh, don't get all zen with me, Darron," Go Go said with a disgusted tone, holding up her hands to stop Wasabi, "You're not Takahito."

"No," Wasabi agreed after pausing to take a deep breath, "I'm not, but I know that when we should be pulling together, we're falling apart instead. I mean, the only person I can talk to anymore is Fred. Hiro's shut himself off from the world, Cass is barely holding it together and Honey is a mess."

"They're hurting, Darron!" Go Go spat, looking at him like he was an idiot.

"You don't think I know that!?" Wasabi snapped, his glare so intense it caused Go Go to take a surprised step away from him, "You don't think I'm hurting too!? God, Tadashi was the first friend I ever had here! He was…."

Wasabi trailed off, visibly pushing the anger away from his features as he took another calming breath.

"He was my best friend," Wasabi finished as he gave Go Go a level look, "So, yeah Yuri, I know they're hurting."

Go Go turned her gaze away from Wasabi and ran a hand over her face while letting out a tired sigh.

"God, I'm….I'm sorry, Darron," Go Go sighed as she slowly turned her gaze back to the young man, "I didn't….you know I'm no good with people."

"Trust me, I get that," Wasabi replied, a small smile creasing his features, "That's why we're engineers, isn't it?"

"Yeah, probably," Go Go agreed with a snort of amusement and a small smile.

"But the fact I'm a little more….zen than you means I know this isn't something we can fix with a machine," Wasabi went on.

"Yeah, I….I know," Go Go replied hesitantly as she wrapped her arms around herself, "I just….I can't do it."

"Why not?" Wasabi questioned, before noting the hesitance in Go Go's stance, "Come on, Yuri, you can talk to me."

"I can't look at them, Darron," Go Go replied, biting her lip as she spoke, "Cass, Honey….Riley….I can't look at them knowing it was my fault."

"Your fault?" Wasabi questioned, blinking at Go Go in confusion, "How is what happened your fault?"

"I could have done something," Go Go explained, her body growing tense as she talked, "Instead I just stood there like an idiot and let it happen."

"Yuri-" Wasabi started to say, but fell silent as Go Go shot a withering glare at him.

"Don't!" Go Go snapped, "Don't you dare tell me there was nothing I could have done! I could have stopped Tadashi from going in there! Or better yet, I could have helped him, and then both he and Professor Callaghan would still be alive!"

"Or you'd be dead with them!" Wasabi replied, raising his voice to match Go Go's, "And then we'd be here mourning you too!"

"You don't know that!" Go Go argued.

"And you don't know that you could have helped!" Wasabi rebutted.

"That's exactly it!" Go Go screamed, her voice reverberating off the walls, her hands clenched into tight fists, "I don't know! I don't know if I could have changed anything and it's eating me up inside! Why do you think I'm here!?"

Before Wasabi could answer, Go Go spun around and threw a fist at the punching bag, her cry of anger and frustration reverberating off the walls as her blow connected with the bag with a meaty thwack. The pair stood in silence for a moment, the only sounds in the room being the swing of the punching bag and Go Go catching her breath.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself," Wasabi said, "Beating yourself up like this. Wondering what you could have changed. You'll go insane."

"I-I know," Go Go sighed, "But everytime I look at one of the others I…."

Go Go paused as she wrapped her arms protectively around herself.

"How's Riley?" she questioned after a moment, her voice quiet and uncertain.

"The same," Wasabi answered with a sigh, "She's pretty unresponsive most of the time, like she's stuck in a daydream or something. Her parents are taking her to a grief counselor….but I'm not sure how much help it will be."

"You think this is because of her powers?" Go Go inquired.

"It makes sense," Wasabi replied with a shrug, "I imagine there were a lot of negative emotions flying around that night. Maybe she….shorted something out."

"Maybe," Go Go agreed with a shrug, "We have no way of knowing, do we?"

"No," Wasabi answered with a shake of his head, "We're out of our depth here."

"See, this is what I'm talking about!" Go Go exclaimed as she seethed with frustration again, "I want to help but I can't. It makes me want to-"

Go Go paused as she looked up at Wasabi and considered him for a moment.

"What?" Wasabi questioned, growing uncomfortable beneath the weight of Go Go's stare.

"Spar with me," Go Go replied simply.

"Excuse me?" Wasabi asked, quirking a surprised eyebrow at Go Go.

"Spar with me," Go Go repeated, "It will help me burn off some steam. Might help you too."

"I'm not going to fight with you, Yuri," Wasabi grumbled.

"You're a black belt, Wasabi," Go Go pointed out with annoyance, "I know you know the difference between a spar and a fight."

"That doesn't mean I want to do it," Wasabi argued, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke.

"You said you wanted to help me," Go Go pointed out as she walked over to the center of the room.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind," Wasabi stated as he glanced down at himself, "I'm not even dressed properly."

"You're fine," Go Go replied, rolling her eyes before looking Wasabi up and down, "Just take off your shoes and loose the sweater."

"Yuri-" Wasabi began to protest but was cut off as Go Go gave him a sharp glare.

"Woman up, Wasabi," Go Go snapped, "I'm telling you how to help, now help."

Wasabi merely looked at Go Go for a moment before shaking his head and sighing dramatically as he reached down and carefully untied his shoes before taking them off. After placing his shoes to the side, Wasabi grabbed his sweater and pulled it off with one smooth motion revealing the white tank top he wore underneath. Go Go's eyes widened as she watched Wasabi fold his sweater, her gaze drawn to the rippling muscles of the young man's arms and shoulders.

"What?" Wasabi questioned as he turned around to find Go Go looking intently at him.

"Hmm?" Go Go replied, blinking in surprise for a moment before she realized what Wasabi had said to her, her cheeks turning pink, "Oh, I was just noticing that, uh, you've been working out. You look good."

"Oh, uh, yeah, thanks," Wasabi replied awkwardly, his cheeks darkening, causing Go Go to smirk.

"Come on, let's get started," Go Go stated motioning Wasabi over to the center of the room. Wasabi walked over to her, stopping a few feet in front of Go Go. The two faced each other before sliding into fighting stances.

"Ready?" Go Go questioned, her smile turning wicked.

"I guess, are-" Wasabi began to say before letting out a cry of surprise as Go Go rushed at him, leaving him with barely enough time to push her punch to the side as she thrust her fist at his face. Go Go stumbled for half a step before planting one foot and sweeping at one of Wasabi's legs with her other. Wasabi managed to quickly lift his foot out of the way, pivoting away from her before the two of them faced off again.

"Not bad," Go Go commented as she caught her breath, "You're quicker than I thought you'd be."

"Uh, thanks," Wasabi replied with a chuckle, "You're pretty-"

Wasabi's words were cut off as Go Go rushed him again, throwing a spinning kick at his head that the young man was just barely able to lean away from. Using her continuing momentum, Go Go crouched low and swept her leg at Wasabi's feet again, but he nimbly dodged out of the way. Still spinning, Go Go sent a third kick at Wasabi, this one directed at the young man's midsection.

With lightning reflexes, Wasabi caught Go Go's foot with one hand, wincing as the force of the blow ran up to his arm. Acting quickly, Wasabi heaved Go Go's leg upwards, flipping the smaller woman into the air. As she rose, Go Go tucked her knees up towards her chest, causing her to flip around in the air and allow her to lash out with both feet, kicking Wasabi in the chest and sending him reeling as she fell to the padded floor.

Wasabi let out a cough of surprise as he caught himself, clenching his chest and looking over at Go Go in time to see her kick herself back up to her feet.

"Wow, ow," Wasabi wheezed as he rubbed his chest, "That was….that was impressive."

"Thanks, I practice," Go Go replied with a smirk, "So how about you stop trying to go easy on me and show me what a black belt can actually do?"

"Alright," Wasabi replied, smirking back at Go Go while sliding back into his fighting stance.

Go Go grinned as she rushed at Wasabi again, the young man not budging an inch as he watched her come. Swinging one foot low, Go Go feigned another sweep of Wasabi's feet before reversing her momentum at the last second and throwing a kick at the young man's head. Wasabi was not fooled however and ducked under Go Go's kick while stepping inside her guard. Planting his feet, Wasabi thrust his fist into Go Go's stomach, knocking the wind out of her, allowing him to slam the palm of his other hand against her chest, knocking the young woman off her feet and sending her rolling across the floor.

As Go Go rolled to a stop, she rose up to her knees while leaving her forehead pressed against the mat, wrapping her arms around her chest as she gulped air back into her lungs. Seeing her like that caused Wasabi to instantly drop his guard as he rushed over to her, worry written across his features.

"Oh geez, Yuri, are you okay," Wasabi asked as he moved to kneel by her side, "I didn't mean to-"

Before Wasabi could finish, Go Go planted her hands against the floor and twisted her body before lashing out with a kick that struck the young man across the jaw, sending him spinning to the ground as Go Go rose back to her feet.

"What did I say about going easy on me?" Go Go questioned as she gave Wasabi a minute to get back to his feet.

"Sorry," Wasabi grumbled, rubbing at his jaw as he turned to face Go Go, "Won't happen again."

"That's what I like to hear," Go Go replied with a grin before she rushed at Wasabi again. Hopping into the air, Go Go spun around before lifting her leg to drop the heel of her foot on top of Wasabi's head. Wasabi was ready for her though and grabbed Go Go by the leg before she could deliver the blow.

Grabbing Go Go's leg with both hands, Wasabi pivoted while pulling her down to slam her against the ground. As she fell to the floor, Go Go extended her arms and caught herself before Wasabi could throw her. Still holding her leg, Wasabi looked down at Go Go in surprise as she pivoted on her hands before thrusting her free foot at his face.

Quickly leaning out of the way of the attack, Wasabi took one hand off of the leg he already held and wrapped it around Go Go's other leg before she could pull it back, trapping both. Go Go quickly responded by wrapping her legs around Wasabi and using his support to pull herself up, cocking her fist back as she rose into a seated position. His eyes going wide at the incoming blow, Wasabi quickly released Go Go's leg and reached up to grab her arm before her fist could connect with his face.

With both her arm and her leg in his grasp, Wasabi quickly turned and fell forward onto the floor, slamming Go Go's back against the mat. Go Go let out a cough of pain and surprise as the force of the blow caused Wasabi to loosen his grip on her. Seizing her chance, Go Go wrapped her arms and legs around Wasabi's arm before he could pull away and extended it into a painful arm lock. Hissing in pain, Wasabi tried to pull Go Go off of him, but couldn't budge her, the young woman going so far as to push one of her feet against his face.

Growling in frustration, Wasabi pulled himself to his feet while gripping Go Go with his free hand. Planting his feet, Wasabi rose up, picking Go Go up with him. Go Go had only enough time to look at Wasabi in surprise before he slammed her against the mat again, the blow knocking the air out of her lungs and forcing her to release Wasabi's arm.

As Go Go fought to catch her breath, Wasabi pushed himself on top of her, planting his knee against her chest while holding her shoulder down with one hand and cocking the other back for a punch. Go Go struggled for a few moments before sagging in defeat, unable to get Wasabi's weight off of her.

"How was that?" Wasabi questioned, grinning as sweat formed on his brow.

"Now, that was what I expected from a black belt," Go Go replied with a smile of her own as she reached up and rested her hand on Wasabi's thigh.

"Um…." Wasabi mumbled, his eyes going wide as he looked down at Go Go's hand, "What are you doing?"

"I'm very impressed," Go Go replied, her smile growing sensual as she looked at Wasabi with half-lidded eyes, her hand slowly inching its way up the young man's leg, "I'm seeing if there's anything else….impressive about you."

"Uh, Yuri, I-I'm not sure….I'm not sure this…." Wasabi fumbled with words, his face growing hot as he shifted his legs uncomfortably, "We shouldn't-"

Before Wasabi could finish, Go Go pushed his knee off her chest and slipped between his spread legs. As Wasabi blinked in surprise, Go Go grabbed his leg and pulled it out from under him, sending the young man falling face first against the floor. Before he could get up, Go Go grabbed Wasabi's leg, sat on the young man's lower back while pulling the appendage back and put it into a twisting leg lock. Wasabi let out a gasp of pain before he quickly began hitting his hand against the mat.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Wasabi squeaked, "I give! I give!"

"You're such a baby," Go Go chuckled as she released his legs and leaned back, resting her hands on Wasabi's muscular back.

"That was….that was dirty," Wasabi pointed out as he caught his breath, looking over his shoulder at Go Go.

"It sure was," she replied, looking back at him with a suggestive smile.

Seeing her look at him like that caused Wasabi's face to heat up again and he moved to pick himself up off the ground. As he did, Go Go shifted her weight, causing Wasabi to roll over onto his back while Go Go spun around and sprawled across his chest. His eyes widening in surprise, Wasabi watched as Go Go crawled up his body until she was looking him in the eye, her face inches from his.

"Hey," Go Go greeted, her voice a soft whisper, a few dangling strands of her hair having come loose from her hairclip.

"Hi," Wasabi squeaked in reply.

"I'm all dirty," Go Go said before leaning down and sniffing the skin of Wasabi's neck, "And you smell funny."

"Th-That happens when you w-work up a sweat," Wasabi stuttered, sweat completely unrelated to the work out he just had forming on his brow.

"I guess so," Go Go agreed as she looked him in the eye again, "You're place isn't far from here, right?"

"Y-Yeah…." Wasabi answered, confusion intermingling with his nervousness, "Why?"

"I need to take a shower," Go Go answered, sitting up on Wasabi's stomach and stretching her arms above her head, giving the young man a clear view of her curves.

"Th-Th-They have showers here, d-don't th-they?" Wasabi replied causing Go Go to look down at him with an expression that made Wasabi feel incredibly stupid.

"Come on, Darron," Go Go said as she lay her hands on Wasabi's chest and began absentmindedly tracing his muscles with her fingers, "You of all people know public showers are disgusting."

"Y-Yeah," Wasabi answered, feeling like his blood was rushing towards one part of his body, "Th-That's true."

"Then it's decided," Go Go stated as she rolled off him and stood up in a way that Wasabi was certain was supposed to draw his eyes towards her posterior, "You don't mind, do you?"

"I-I…." Wasabi mumbled, having lost all ability to form actual words.

"You still want to help me, right?" Go Go questioned as she looked down at him, her eyes half-lidded and her smile sensual. At that moment, Wasabi thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Yes," Wasabi answered, his voice a barely audible whisper.

"Good," Go Go purred before reaching down and offering Wasabi her hand, "Up and at 'em then."

Wasabi took her offered hand and let Go Go help pull him to his feet. After he stood, Go Go kept her hand linked with his, rubbing her thumb across Wasabi's skin before turning and leading him towards the exit.

"D-Do you want to take a shower first?" Wasabi offered, scooping up his things as they passed.

"Oh, come on, Darron," Go Go replied, rolling her eyes as she looked back at him and grinned wickedly, "Why would we waste water like that?"

Wasabi did not answer, almost dropping his things in shock as Go Go led him out of the room, shutting the lights off as they left.

A/N: Hey guys, long time, no see! Sorry for the long wait, but I had a lot of stuff going on, to say nothing about how tough this chapter ended up being to write. Still, I love the way it turned out and I hope that, along with how long it ended up being, makes up for it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	15. A Friend in Need

**Chapter 15: A Friend in Need**

Fred sighed as he made his way down the street, dressed in a San Fransokyo Samurai basketball jersey over a white t-shirt and SFIT Kaiju ski cap on his head, his hands tucked into the pockets of his khaki shorts. Glancing up, a small smile appeared on his face as he spotted the Lucky Cat Cafe coming into view. Walking up to the door, he was caught off guard as it swung open and Jill stepped out, almost walking into the young man.

"Oh!" Jill said with a startled surprise as Fred hopped out of her way, placing one hand to her heart while the other held the coffee she had just purchased, "I'm sorry, Fred. I didn't see you there."

"It's alright, no harm done," Fred replied with a friendly smile.

"How are you?" Jill questioned as she let the door close behind her, "I haven't seen you since…."

"Yeah," Fred nodded in reply, "I've been doing good, I guess. Best you could probably hope for."

"That's good to hear," Jill stated with a sigh, "I'm happy that you're managing to hold up well."

"I bet," Fred said sympathetically before glancing through the shop's window at Honey standing behind the counter inside, "How is she holding up?"

"She took everything very hard, as you probably imagine," Jill answered, "She's getting better though. We had a nice cry about it a few days ago. She'll get better. She just needs time."

"That's good to hear," Fred stated with a smile and a nod before his happiness abruptly faulted and a thought came to him, "How's Riley?"

Jill's expression immediately became stricken and Fred was suddenly worried he had said the wrong thing.

"I don't know what to do, Fred," Jill said quietly, averting her eyes that were starting to well with tears, "She….she hasn't changed at all since that night. She won't talk, she barely eats. We don't even send her to school anymore. She's meeting with a grief counselor right now but…."

Jill reached out and put an hand on Fred's shoulder and the young man was briefly worried she going to faint. Grasping onto the material of Fred's shirt, Jill turned her gaze back to him, her eyes watery with unshead tears.

"I can't lose my baby, Fred," Jill stated, looking like she could fall apart at any moment, "I can't."

"You won't," Fred reassured her, reaching up and placing his hand over Jill's, "Riley's as tough as they come."

"I hope so," Jill replied as she started pulling herself back together, "Thank you for recommending her to us, by the way."

"Don't mention it, it just took a quick internet search," Fred replied with a shrug before his face lit up, "Hey, you're going to get Riley now, right?"

Jill nodded in reply.

"Why don't I come with you?" Fred suggested, "Maybe seeing a familiar face will cheer her up?"

"I think she might like that," Jill said after a moment, giving Fred a hesitant smile, "I don't see how it could hurt."

"Awesome!" Fred declared excitedly, before motioning for Jill to lead the way, "After you."

Jill smiled at Fred's enthusiasm before she began making her way down the street, the young man following along behind her.

 _Later_ ,

Riley sat quietly in the therapist's office, absentmindedly staring at nothing. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she observed that the office was much like what she imagined a typical therapist's office would look like, with wood paneled walls, a large, wood desk and diplomas hanging in frames on the wall. Riley was sitting on a red, plush couch that looked like it had been made sometime before the turn of the last century. Across from her, Riley's grief counselor sat in a chair of a similar design.

The counselor was a middle aged woman of average height and a plump build, a pencil and pad of paper clutched in her hands. Her greying hair was pulled back into a modest bun and she regarded Riley through her glasses with hazel eyes, her expression a mask of concern tinted with concern.

The counselor glanced up at the clock hanging from the wall before repressing a sigh. Turning back to Riley, she sighed before placing her the pen and paper to the side and removing her glasses.

"You know, it's not unusual for one of my patients to not feel like sharing during their first session," the counselor explained, doing her best to look Riley in the eye as she spoke, despite the fact the girl would not meet her gaze, "It is, however, rather strange when they don't say anything at all."

" _Is this helping any, Sadness?_ " Joy questioned from within Riley's mind.

" _No,_ " Sadness grumbled miserably in reply, " _The inputs still aren't working_."

" _I thought going to the quack was supposed to help!_ " Anger snapped in frustration.

" _Give it time,_ " Joy pleaded, " _Maybe there's something else she needs to do._ "

Riley, meanwhile, made no indication she even heard what the counselor had said to her. The counselor let out another small sigh before continuing.

"I know what happened was terrible," the counselor stated, "Losing someone close to you hurts. It hurts a lot. But the best thing you can do is talk about it. Bottling up your emotions will only hurt you more in the long run."

" _It's not like she's doing it on purpose!_ " Disgust shouted angrily.

Riley continued to say nothing, her expression blank and her gaze vacant. Turning her gaze back towards the clock, the counselor noted the time, shook her head sadly and turned her attention back to Riley.

"Well, Riley, it looks like our time is over for today," the counselor said, her expression more concerned than before, "I don't want to keep your mother waiting. Why don't I show you out?"

" _Great!_ " Anger spat in exasperation, " _We wasted an hour accomplishing nothing!_ "

" _You heard her though,_ " Joy argued desperately, " _Other people haven't improved after their first session. Maybe we just need more time with her._ "

" _Other people don't have psychic powers though!_ " Fear argued, " _What if nobody can help Riley and we're stuck like this forever!?_ "

Though she made no indication that she had actually heard the counselor, Riley stood up with the older woman and allowed herself to be led to the door leading out of the office, which the counselor opened and ushered the girl through.

The room beyond was a waiting room with a similar appearance to the counselor's office. A secretary sat behind a wooden desk near the door that led into the office and a few chairs were set up around a table scattered with magazines. Jill and Fred both looked up from the magazines they had been reading as Riley entered the room.

" _Hey, it's Fred!_ " Joy exclaimed happily, " _Maybe he can help!_ "

" _Yeah, I'm sure the man child has the answers we seek,_ " Disgust snorted sarcastically.

"Mrs. Andersen," the counselor greeted as stepped into the waiting room after Riley while Jill and Fred stood up from their seats.

"Dr. Roberts," Jill replied, nodding to the counselor as she walked over to her, "How'd it go."

The counselor, Dr. Roberts, glanced down at Riley before placing a hand on Jill's shoulder and gently leading her a short distance away. As she did, Fred crouched down so that he could be at eye level with Riley.

"Hey, Fargo," Fred greeted with a grin, "How's it going?"

Riley didn't reply, merely lifting her eyes to look at Fred without actually meeting his gaze.

" _Please, Riley,_ " Joy whispered desperately, " _You have to say something._ "

"Come on, Riley, talk to me," Fred continued, his expression turning pleading, "It's me, Fred….your friend."

Riley gave no indication she had even heard what Fred had said to her.

" _It's hopeless,_ " Sadness moped.

A fretful look crossed Fred's face as he bit his lip and pulled off his hand so that he could run a hand through his blonde locks. As he did, he noticed he could hear Jill and Dr. Roberts' whispered conversation as could the emotions in Riley's mind.

"It's not good," Dr. Roberts answered Jill's earlier question with a hushed tone, glancing between Riley and her stricken mother, "Riley doesn't talk, she doesn't respond. I dare say she is bordering on canatonic."

"What….What are you saying?" Jill questioned as fear crept into her voice.

"I'm saying that Riley might require more help then I can provide," Dr. Roberts replied with a sigh.

" _Oh no, it's like I said!_ " Fear shrieked in panic, " _We're doomed!_ "

"Isn't….Isn't there anything you can do?" Jill pleaded.

"I can't do anything if she won't talk to me," Dr. Roberts stated with a small, helpless shrug, "She's closed herself off from the world. It's a natural reaction, like defending yourself from a physical assault. I've just never seen someone do it so strongly before."

"What should we do?" Jill questioned, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

" _Mom's crying_ ," Sadness observed morosely, " _It's never a good sign when adults cry_."

"If I, or someone else, can't break through that wall she's set up, I'm afraid there's not much anyone can do for Riley," Dr. Roberts answered with a sigh.

Glancing over, Fred saw Jill cover her mouth with her hand as tears began running down her cheeks while Dr. Roberts placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Watching them for a moment, a pensive look crossed Fred's features before he turned back to Riley and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Fargo," Fred whispered, doing his best to catch Riley's gaze while resting a hand on her shoulder, "Help is coming."

With that, Fred stood back up and made his way over to Jill and Dr. Roberts.

" _I hope you're right, Fred,_ " Joy whispered meekly from within Riley's mind, " _We need all the help we can get_."

"Oh, Fred," Jill greeted, wiping some of her tears away as she turned to face the young man, "Were you able to….?"

"No," Fred answered with a sad shake of his head, "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to reach her."

Jill's voice hitched and she had to visibly struggle against bursting into tears.

"I have an idea though, one that I'm going to work on right now," Fred stated, his expression turning resolute, "We'll get through to Riley. I promise."

"Thank you, Fred," Jill replied, smiling at the young man through her tears, "Do you need me to-"

"No, it's alright," Fred answered, cutting off her question with a friendly smile and a shake of his head, "I'll get my own ride. You just get her home."

"Alright," Jill agreed with a nod, "Thank you again, Fred."

"Don't thank me just yet," Fred replied with a smirk before he began making his way to the door leading out of the office, "I'll see the both of you around, okay?"

"Okay," Jill answered, smiling and nodding at the young man as he left. As the door closed behind Fred, Jill turned back to Dr. Roberts, managing to collect herself again.

"Well, I suppose I should pay you before I go," Jill stated as she began reaching for her purse.

"Oh, that's not necessary," Dr. Roberts replied, holding up her hand to stop Jill.

"Excuse me?" Jill questioned in confusion.

"Your sessions have already been paid for by a source that wished to remain anonymous," Dr. Roberts explained.

"Paid for?" Jill repeated, "But who would do…."

Jill trailed off as she looked back at the door Fred had disappeared through, confusion plastered across her face.

 _Later,_

A knock from the door echoed through the small apartment, traveling through the immaculately clean, combination kitchen and living room to the smaller bedroom beyond. In the bed, a form shifted under the covers, the incessant banging on the door drawing them from sleep.

"Wasabi!" Fred's muffled voice came from the other side of the door, "Hey Wasabi, you there!?"

Grumbling under their breath, the form under the covers shifted as someone got up and made their way over to the door.

"Come on, Wasabi, it's Fred!" Fred called again, still hammering on the door, "Quit playing with your bonsai tree and-"

Fred was cut off as the door suddenly swung open, revealing Go Go standing on the other side, glaring at him. Fred's eyes widened in surprise as he looked Go Go over, his hand still raised to continue knocking on the door. Go Go had clearly just woken up, her black and purple hair tousled by sleep and her face unadorned by her usual makeup. She was dressed in a light green t-shirt that was at least three sizes too large, the sleeves hanging to her elbows and the hem hanging just past her bare thighs, her toes clenching and unclenching into the brown rug on the floor.

"What?" Go Go demanded, her irritation palpable.

It took a moment for Fred to collect his thoughts and process the sight before him. Leaning backwards, he glanced up and down the hall in confusion before turning his attention back to Go Go.

"Is….Wasabi there?" Fred asked, seemingly unsure of the question he was asking.

"Yeah, come in," Go Go replied as she nodded towards the inside of the apartment. Clearly confused, Fred stepped inside and walked into the living room as Go Go closed the door behind him.

"Yuri," Wasabi said through a yawn as he stepped out of the bedroom, stretching his arms above his head as he went, dressed in nothing more than a pair of olive green boxer shorts, "Who was-"

Wasabi froze in place as he caught sight of Fred standing before him, his eye widening in surprise as an amused grin spread across Fred's face.

"Fred!" Wasabi shouted in surprise before hopping backwards and pulling his bedroom door open enough that it shielded him from sight, "What are you doing here!?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Fred explained, his knowing smile growing wider by the second, "I see you found Go Go. How'd that go?"

"Well, I mean, I found her, um, at the gym, where we thought she'd be," Wasabi answered, stumbling through his words as he felt his face heat up, "And I guess we talked about stuff-"

"We had sex," Go Go spoke up as she walked by Fred, interrupting Wasabi, causing Wasabi to look at her in shock and Fred to grin madly at the two of them, "And now, I'm going to get dressed while you two ladies gossip."

"Glad to see that you're doing alright, Go Go," Fred said with a mirthful giggle.

"Oh trust me, Fred," Go Go said as she stopped at the doorway to Wasabi's bedroom, gripping the doorknob with one hand while she looked over her shoulder at Fred before her gaze slowly drifted towards Wasabi, "I'm doing much better than alright."

With that, Go Go stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her, leaving Wasabi exposed once more as Fred bit his lip to contain his laughter, his cheeks turning red from the effort.

"A-Alright, fine, yeah, we had sex, whatever," Wasabi retorted, trying to sound annoyed as he fidgeted uncomfortably and found himself unable to meet Fred's gaze, "Laugh if you want to. I don't care."

"Sure," Fred snorted as he shook his head, "Look, I'm not going to judge. I know you've been crushing on Go Go for a while, if she's into you too that's great. I mean it's working for Honey and…."

Fred trailed off as his brain caught up with his mouth, his smile fading away.

"So, what's up?" Wasabi questioned, growing more comfortable with the change of subject, "You seemed pretty eager to talk to me."

"Right," Fred nodded as he snapped his fingers and pointed at Wasabi, "It's about Fargo."

"Riley?" Go Go questioned as she opened the door and stepped out of the bedroom, dressed in her gym clothes with Wasabi's t-shirt in her hands, "What's going on? Have you heard from her?"

"I saw her," Fred answered, "Right after her first session with her new grief counselor."

"Did it help any?" Wasabi asked as Go Go handed him back his shirt.

"No," Fred answered with a shake of his head, "The counselor says that she's walled herself off from the world. Worse than anyone she's ever seen. Fargo's practically canatonic."

"Jesus," Wasabi whispered in horror as he pulled his t-shirt on.

"It's her powers, right?" Go Go questioned, concern clearly written on her features, "That's what's causing this."

"Seems like it," Fred confirmed with a nod.

"I take it you have some sort of plan to fix this?" Wasabi questioned.

"I do, hopefully," Fred answered, "The counselor said that if someone can break through Fargo's wall, then she can actually help her."

"So, you think you can break through to her?" Go Go inquired, arching an eyebrow at Fred.

"No, but I think together, we can," Fred answered resolutely, "Wasabi, you can get into contact with Takahito?"

"Well, I work for him, so yeah, I think I can manage that," Wasabi drolled sarcastically.

"Awesome!" Fred exclaimed as he began moving towards the door, "We're going to need him too. I'm going to go talk to Honey now, I'll call you guys later with the details."

"Alright, Fred," Wasabi acknowledged with a nod.

"We'll be waiting with baited breath," Go Go added as Fred ran out of the apartment, closing the door behind him. The two of them looked at the door in silence for a moment before Go Go placed her hands on her hips and turned her attention towards Wasabi.

"You think whatever he's cooking up will work?" Go Go questioned.

"It's worth a shot," Wasabi replied with a shrug, "It doesn't seem like anyone really has any idea of how to help Riley. This seems like a good a option as any. Who knows? Maybe this will all be crazy enough to work."

"Maybe," Go Go agreed, her expression uncertain.

"Hey," Wasabi said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "We're going to get her back. You'll see. Fred's just crazy enough to figure this out."

"Yeah, I guess," Go Go stated, clearly not convinced. Glancing at Wasabi's hand, she shrugged her shoulder, prompting the young man to quickly pull it back.

"Well, I've got to get back to the gym to pick up my bike and then I've got to get home to change," Go Go explained as she began making her way towards the door.

"You want me to give you a ride?" Wasabi offered.

"No, I'm fine," Go Go replied with a shake of her head, "I could use the exercise and it's not really a walk of shame when I'm wearing my gym clothes."

Wasabi chuckled at the joke before an uneasy look crossed his face.

"Yuri?" he said, causing her to pause by the door.

"Yeah?" she replied, looking at Wasabi with a quirked eyebrow.

"What….what are we now?" Wasabi questioned.

"What are we now?" Go Go repeated in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, we've had….you know…." Wasabi tried to explain, clearly uncomfortable.

"We've had sex?" Go Go provided, her voice sharp with annoyance, "We were intimate with one another? We got to know each other in the biblical sense? We fu-"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Wasabi interrupted her with an agitated sigh, holding up his hands in an effort to stop her.

"So out with it then," Go Go demanded, "What are you trying to ask me?"

"I'm trying to ask you where we go from here?" Wasabi asked in exasperation, "What happens now?"

"What happens?" Go Go repeated for clarity, earning a nod from Wasabi, "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Wasabi questioned in confusion, "How can nothing happen?"

"Because we're going to go back to how things were between us," Go Go explained plainly, "I'm not going to be your girlfriend or your lover or anything like that. I'm your friend, maybe even your friend with benefits if you keep playing your cards right."

"Yuri-" Wasabi began to say but stopped as Go Go held her hand up.

"Don't," Go Go said firmly, "Look, I get it, you like me. And, since I don't just hop into bed with anyone, I obviously like you too. But this isn't going to work."

An awkward silence fell between the two of them, Wasabi turning to look out his apartment window while Go Go studied her feet.

"We've been friends for a while now, Darron, and you have to know that we don't work together," Go Go said, looking up at Wasabi and motioning between them, "We're, like, the exact opposites of one another, and despite what we know about magnets, opposites don't actually attract. We're not a couple, Wasabi. We're not Honey and Tadashi."

"You heard that?" Wasabi questioned, looking back at Go Go and quirking an eyebrow.

"Your walls are pretty thin, Wasabi," Go Go replied with a smirk, "I'm sure you're going to some complaints from your neighbors later."

Wasabi gave no reaction to the joke, causing Go Go's smile to falter.

"Look, after seeing Honey and hearing about her….I don't want to end up like that," Go Go explained.

"I'm not going to die, Yuri," Wasabi snapped in annoyance.

"I know that, but I also know that this isn't going to work and if we tried, I'd be in the same boat she is!" Go Go countered, her own voice raising in hurt and annoyance, "I know me, and I'm not good with people."

"Bullshit," Wasabi growled, "I've seen you with Riley."

"That's different and you know it!" Go Go shot back, "You know I….I don't have a lot of friends. I never have. Something I know you relate to."

Wasabi sighed but offered no argument.

"I've already lost one friend because I did nothing," Go Go said, her shoulders drooping as her voice quieted as she glanced away from Wasabi, "I'm not going to lose another for the same reason."

Go Go looked back at Wasabi in time to see the young man rub quickly at his eyes.

"What happened last night….shouldn't have happened," Go Go continued, "That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I did, and I'm sure you did too, but the fact of the matter is I used you. I led you on and used you to make myself feel better. That was wrong of me. I….I'm sorry and I hope….I hope you can forgive me."

Go Go refused to meet Wasabi's gaze as she spoke, casting her eyes back down towards her feet. Her words hurt to hear, but it hurt even more to see her like that. To see someone who was normally so strong hurting like that made Wasabi feel guilty for his own pain.

"Of course," Wasabi replied, giving Go Go a half-hearted smile, "That's what friends are for, right?"

Go Go looked up at Wasabi and gave him a small smile of her own.

"Right," Go Go agreed as she opened the door and started to step out, "I should get going. I'll see you around, Wasabi."

And with that she was gone, not even waiting for Wasabi's reply. Sighing, Wasabi ran both of his hands over his face while leaning his head back against the wall behind him with a dull thud.

"See you around," Wasabi muttered morosely to himself.

After a moment, Wasabi's thoughts were interrupted by a small knock coming from the closet in the hall that led to his bathroom.

"Are you being finished with your mating rituals?" the muffled voice of Oh came from within the closet, "May I come into the out now?"

Sighing, Wasabi rolled his eyes before trudging down towards the hall to release the alien he had trapped in his linen closet.

A/N: Hey guys, bit of a shorter chapter this time but I got to touch upon some important emotional points. Hope you guys enjoyed it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	16. Breathe In, Breathe Out

**Chapter 16: Breathe In, Breathe Out**

Tip Tucci walked glumly down the steep street towards her house, her hands in her pockets and her eyes trained on her feet, Pig following diligently behind her. As she walked, she stole a glance towards the house across the street from hers, up to the window that she knew led to Riley's room. She looked at it for a moment before sighing and dropping her shoulders while running a hand through her mass of curly hair. Sensing her distress, Pig wound his way around her legs and meowed up at her. Looking down at the cat, Tip gave Pig a small smile before leaning down and scooping him into her arms.

"Thanks, Pig," Tip said as she held the purring cat close and rubbed her cheek gently against the top of his head, "But I think this problem will take more than a hug to fix it."

As she spoke, the sound of a car approaching brought Tip's attention down towards the bottom of the hill. As she watched, Wasabi's van came rolling up the street before stopping right in front of her. As the vehicle came to a halt, the sliding door on the side facing her was yanked open and Tip found herself face to face with Fred. Glancing past him, Tip could see Wasabi sitting in the driver's seat with Go Go sitting next to him while Honey sat in the seat behind Fred.

"Fred?" Tip questioned, arching a confused eyebrow at the young man, "What are you doing?"

"No time to explain," Fred said breathlessly, "Get in the van."

There was a quiet moment as Tip's expression turned more confused as she glanced up and down the street.

"You know, if anyone else saw this, they'd think you were kidnapping me," Tip pointed out with a wry smirk as she placed Pig back on the ground.

"Why do you guys always have to make this weird?" Wasabi complained as he looked over his shoulder at Tip.

"Seriously though, we do need your help," Fred pressed with a snort of amusement, "I already texted your mom and she said it was cool."

"What do you need my help with?" Tip questioned as she stepped up into the van, Pig hopping in behind her. As she did, Fred stepped aside to let her in, allowing her to see Riley sitting directly behind him.

" _Tip!_ " Joy's voice rang out in the confines of Riley's mind.

"Riley!" Tip gasped in surprise as she saw the other girl, quickly taking the open seat next to her, "It's so good to see you, how are-"

Tip's voice died in her throat as she witnessed Riley's complete non-reaction to her presence, electing to instead to stare blankly at the seat in front of her.

" _Still nothing?_ " Fear questioned.

" _Nothing_ ," Sadness sighed, " _I really thought seeing Tip would help_."

" _It's okay, guys_ ," Joy spoke up, doing her best to reassure the others, " _They're not giving up on us just yet_."

"Riley?" Tip asked with concern before turning her attention towards Fred, "What's wrong with her?"

"We think it has something to do with her powers," Fred explained as he slid the door closed and took a seat next to Honey, "The night of the fire, there were a lot of powerful, negative emotions flying around. I think that they may have….overloaded Riley somehow."

"Can someone fix it?" Tip questioned as Wasabi pulled away from the curb.

"We don't know yet," Honey answered, a morose look on her face, "Conventional means thus far have proved….ineffective."

"All that means is we have to get a little unconventional," Fred stated confidently.

" _See?_ " Joy spoke up, " _I knew Fred had a plan_."

" _I'm not so sure that's a good thing though_ ," Disgust quipped.

"How unconventional are we talking?" Tip questioned as she quirked an eyebrow at the young man.

"We're going to take things in a zen direction," Fred explained before looking up at Wasabi, "Tell her, Wasabi."

"When I first brought Riley to learn tai chi from Takahito- _sensei_ , he helped her control her powers through meditation," Wasabi explained, his eyes focused on the road in front of him as he spoke, "I'm not sure exactly how it worked but Riley basically said that being at calm and in peace are an emotion in and of themselves. She said she was able to copy that feeling and it helped her control her powers."

"So, you think by doing it again, Riley can snap out of whatever funk she's in?" Tip suggested.

"That's the idea," Go Go acknowledged.

"Then what are we all doing here?" Tip questioned.

"Well, if Fargo is being overloaded with negative emotions, I figure we can counteract them with a bunch of positive emotions," Fred explained, "So, while Takahito helps Riley, we'll be there for some very tangible moral support."

" _A man after my own heart_ ," Joy cooed, " _See, I told you guys he had an idea_."

"Alright, I guess that makes…." Tip trailed off as a thought struck her and she glanced around the van, "Where's Hiro?"

Fred cringed as an uncomfortable awkwardness washed over the van.

" _Oh no_ ," Sadness whispered.

"If we're going to do this moral support thing, we need Hiro," Tip went on, "You know she's got some kind of psychic bond with him. He's literally the most useful person for this idea of yours."

"I know," Fred conceded as he scratched the back of his head and looked away from Tip, "But the thing is…."

"The kid isn't coming," Go Go finished bluntly.

" _What!?_ " Anger roared in outrage.

"Why the hell not!?" Tip snapped, her accent becoming thicker as her anger rose.

"Hiro has….taken Tadashi's death very hard," Honey explained, a slight tremble in her voice as she spoke, "He spends most of his time now locked in his room. I've been working at the Lucky Cat lately and I haven't even seen him. He's hurting, Tip, and-"

"And that's bullshit!" Tip screamed, causing Honey and Fred to lean back from her in alarm while Wasabi jerked the wheel slightly in alarm, causing the tires outside to screech against the pavement while a car blared its horn somewhere behind them. Go Go, for her part, leaned over to look back at Tip, her expression impressed.

" _You know, I'm really warming up to this girl,_ " Anger commented with a chuckle.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, you all know it's true," Tip growled as she looked around at all the gazes focused on her, "We're all in pain right now, but we're still all here to help Riley. The fact that he's moping in his room instead of being here to help her is….is…."

"Bullshit," Go Go finished for her, "We caught that part."

"The fact of the matter is we can't force Hiro to come," Fred stated with a sigh, "Regardless of how much we'd want him to."

"Why don't we worry about helping Riley, then we can worry about Hiro?" Honey suggested, reaching over the seat and putting a hand on Tip's shoulder, "One thing at a time, alright?"

"Okay," Tip agreed with a resigned sigh, settling back into the seat as she did.

"Excusing me," Oh's voice suddenly came from the back of the van, causing everyone except Riley to jump in surprise as Wasabi almost swerved off the road for the second time in as many minutes, "But whats does the excrement of a bovine animal has to do with this problem?"

"Oh!?" Go Go snapped as she turned around in her seat to glare at the Boov while Wasabi regained control of the van, "What are you doing back there!?"

"Sittings mostly," Oh answered obliviously.

"No, she means what are doing here, in the van?" Tip questioned, turning around to face Oh.

"This is a gathering of Riley Andersen's friends, is it not?" Oh asked.

"It is," Fred confirmed, turning in his seat to look at Oh as well.

"And am I not being her friends?" Oh questioned further.

"Of course you are," Honey answered, mirroring Fred's movements as she spoke.

"Then why shoulds I not be being here?" Oh asked, crossing his arms and turning a light shade of red as he glared at the others in challenge.

"Because you're a goddamned alien, Oh, and if anyone sees you, they'll drag you back to Krei Tech and experiment on you," Go Go answered sardonically.

"Ah," Oh replied, realization plastered across his features, "I had not thoughts of that."

"Well, you're here now," Wasabi sighed, "When we get where we're going, just stay hidden in the van and it will be fine."

"But, I wish to be the helps," Oh argued with a downtrodden expression.

"You are helping," Tip spoke up, "You took a pretty big risk coming out here for Riley, even if you didn't realize. I'm sure she appreciates it."

" _I'd like to think I speak for everyone when I say that she does,_ " Joy stated from within Riley's mind.

"I only wish to pay back your hospitalities," Oh replied, turning a bright shade of pink as he spoke, "If it were nots for yous, I would still bes in the smelly trash receptacle."

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure out another way to repay us," Wasabi spoke up, "For now, just keep your head down, or you'll end up somewhere worse than a dumpster."

With that, everyone in the van settled back down with Oh sliding back into his hiding place in the back of the van.

" _Do you really think this is going to work, Joy_?" Fear questioned nervously.

As Wasabi drove them to their destination, Tip's eyes drifted back over to Riley, who was staring blankly out the window at the shifting landscape.

" _Yeah,_ " Joy replied after a pause, her voice full of confidence.

A sad smile crossed Tip's face before she reached over and took Riley's hand into her own.

" _I've got a good feeling about this_."

A short while later, Wasabi pulled the van into the parking lot of the small park where he and Riley would meet with Takahito. Putting the van into park, Wasabi turned back towards the rear of the vehicle as the others began filing out.

"Oh," Wasabi said, prompting the Boov to peek his head out from his hiding spot, "Remember what I said. Stay out of sight until we get back."

"And watched Pig," Tip added, pointing to where the cat had curled up on the floor of the van.

Oh nodded in reply, prompting Wasabi to nod as well before stepping out of the van. Oh watched them as the group entered the park before sighing sadly, turning a shade of blue as he did.

"I wishes there was a way that I can be paying thems back," Oh said glumly before turning away from the window. As he did, something on the other side of the van caught his attention, causing Oh to gasp in surprised delight before he rushed across the seats and pressed his face against the window.

"Perhaps there is," Oh whispered in awe as he looked at the convenience store sitting on the other side of the parking lot, his eyes draw to the slushie machine sitting in the window.

Walking through the park, the group made their way over to the small hill with a lone tree sitting upon it. There, Takahito was waiting for them, dressed in khaki shorts and a bright red Hawaiian shirt.

"Good morning," Takahito greeted them with a nod of his head.

"Good morning, _sensei_ ," Wasabi greeted in return and giving the old man a bow, prompting the others to bow as well. All except for Riley, who remained standing, her eyes focused on the ground in front of her. Takahito's gaze fell on Riley as the others straightened back up.

" _Sensei_ , I know I talked to you briefly on the phone about this but-" Wasabi began to say but stopped as Takahito held up a hand. His eyes still focused on Riley, Takahito walked towards the girl, the others stepping aside to let him through.

"Riley," he stated, but received no reply or any indication he had been heard at all. Holding up his hand, Takahito extended a finger before slowly passing it in front of Riley's eyes, which did not stir. Slowly, Takahito pulled back his hand before he lashed out at Riley with a blow that was almost too quick to see. As the others gasped in shock, Takahito froze mid-blow, his hand extended in a chopping motion aimed at the base of Riley's neck.

"Either your nerves have improved considerably, my student," Takahito said as he retracted his arm before folding his hands behind his back, "Or you are not paying attention."

"It's like I said, _sensei_ ," Wasabi said as he stepped up next to Takahito, "The trauma she's suffered because of her powers has left her practically comatose."

"I see," Takahito agreed with a nod before looking up at Wasabi, "What I do not see is how I will be able to help her."

"When you helped Riley learn to control her emotions and powers, she said she figured it out by leaching off of your zenness," Fred spoke up, walking up to Takahito's other side, "We were thinking that if we could get her to do it again, she might be able to break through her trauma."

Takahito did not reply, merely raising a skeptical eyebrow at Fred.

"Please, sir," Honey pleaded as she stepped forward, "We've tried everything else."

Takahito looked at Honey for a moment before taking a deep breath and sighing.

"Very well," Takahito acquiesced with a nod, "There is no harm in trying, after all."

Honey smiled at the reply and Fred did a little fist pump of victory while Takahito turned from the group and made his way over to the cherry tree, prompting the others to follow him. As he reached the tree, Takahito sat with his back against the bark while crossing his legs into the lotus position, the others following suit, forming a circle on top of the hill.

Taking Riley's hand, Tip led her into the center of the circle and eased her into a sitting position before sitting with the rest of the group in the circle.

"I take it you are all familiar with the basics of meditation?" Takahito questioned as he glanced around the circle, earning nods in reply from everyone, "Good, then let us begin."

With that, Takahito closed his eyes and began taking long, deep breathes. The others quickly followed suit, and soon, there was nothing to be heard but soft breathing and cars drifting by on the road beyond the park. For a few moments, nothing happened as Riley merely sat on the ground, staring at the grass.

" _This isn't working,_ " Anger grumbled, and Riley could almost hear him tightening his hands into his fists, " _This is stupid. We're just sitting here, staring at the lawn work._ "

" _Give it a chance, Anger_ ," Joy pleaded, " _We can't give up yet. I'm sure this will work._ "

" _You always say that!_ " Anger snapped, " _You always say that, but you never have any facts to back it up!_ "

" _Uh, guys,_ " Fear whispered as Riley's eyes slowly drifted close.

" _There are no facts to be had!_ " Joy argued, " _We need faith!_ "

" _Guys?_ " Fear said again, louder this time as Riley's breathing began to fall in line with that of the others.

" _Faith!?_ " Anger bellowed, failing to notice as the sight beneath Riley's eyelids began to change from black to white, " _What a crock of-_ "

" _Guys, shut up!_ " Disgust shouted, " _Something's happening!_ "

" _It's working_!" Joy exclaimed with delight as the sounds of the world began to fall away, " _It's work-_ "

Joy's words faded away, replaced by a calm, peaceful silence broken only by Riley's breathing and that of those around her. In Riley's mind, the world had fallen away, replaced by a vast, white emptiness.

Riley breathed in deep, slowly let it out, and the screams began.

The fire was everywhere, replacing the blank emptiness with its burning flames, casting everything in a hellish glow as smoke choked the air. Riley squinted her eyes tightly closed, trying to deny the flames. As she did, the screams only became louder and more distinct. She could hear Honey sobbing with grief and Cass screaming with pain. The sound of her parents calling out in horror and Hiro….Hiro….

Even as she felt the fires still around her, Riley could tell she was in a different place. In her mind's eye, she saw Hiro's room. The same room that he had once shared with his brother. He sat at his desk, a forlorn look on his face and Riley knew that in his hands was a picture of him and his brother.

"Tadashi," she heard Hiro whisper and suddenly his room fell away and Riley was alone with the flames once again.

"Tadashi," Riley repeated over the crackle of the fire and at that moment she could feel him standing before her. Not as he had been, happy and full of life but how he had ended.

Even though her eyes were closed, Riley still tried to turn away from the vision within her mind, refusing to look at Tadashi's charred form as the smell of cooked meat began to fill her nose. Riley bit her lip as she tried to keep her tears from flowing down her cheeks, her whole body shaking under the weight of Tadashi's dead stare.

"Tadashi," the word echoed in Riley's head this time and at that moment, Riley could feel the other surrounding her, joining her in the fire. She could sense pain of her friends as they faced their memories of Tadashi as well. In her mind, Riley could see the tears running down Honey's cheeks, could feel Go Go's chest tighten with guilt. As Tip worried her bottom lip out of fear, Riley felt a small tug on her own, and she even felt a small crease in her brow from Takahito's frown of concern.

Riley felt all their pain but in doing so, she realized they felt her pain as well. They didn't feel it the same way she did, as a visceral, tangible thing, but they knew what she felt because they had felt it as well. As she concentrated on her friends, Riley could feel other emotions, those core to who they were, beneath the surface of their pain. Honey's sunny optimism, Fred's electric enthusiasm, Wasabi's friendly affability, Go Go's burning determination and Tip's stubborn will. Even in Takahito, beneath his zen calm, Riley could sense a resolve harder than iron.

All of her friends had been scarred by their pain, but underneath it, they were still the people with the strength to carry on through their pain, supported by each other. It was at that moment, Riley had an epiphany. Riley's powers meant that she could be burdened by the pain of those around her, but she could call on their strength as well, reinforce her resolve with those she cared for.

Settling herself into the lotus position, Riley squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. As she did, she pulled in the strength of her friends, the energy of their emotions settling into her chest like a condensed ball. Concentrating on those emotions, Riley slowly began to breath out, the energy spreading through her whole body. As it did, she felt the fear and pain that had been trapped inside of her since Tadashi's death being forced out of her. For a moment, Riley felt as if smoke was pouring out of her mouth with her breath, burning her throat and choking her lungs. Then, just as quickly, it was gone, taking the flames with it and Riley felt herself sitting alone in the empty, white void once more.

Taking a breath in, Riley felt the calmness of meditation wash over her, the emotions of her friends fizzling out like dying embers. As she breathed out, Riley could feel a slight stirring of the air around her and for a moment she could swear she felt something light and furry brush against her arm. But before she could concentrate on it, Riley finished breathing out and, in doing so, felt something crack inside of her.

Like a dam breaking, all of her own emotions, which until that point had been repressed by the pain she had warring with, came rushing to the forefront, slamming against her like a tidal wave. A moment later and Riley found herself back in the park, sitting on the hill surrounded by her friends, openly weeping.

" _Did it…_ " Sadness's voice whispered in Riley's head, " _Did it work?_ "

" _Well, she's crying so hard snot is starting to run out of her nose,_ " Disgust spoke up, " _So, yes?_ "

"Riley?" Tip spoke up, her voice full of trepidation.

"Riley!" Go Go exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and over to the girl's side. Reaching her, Go Go wrapped her arms around Riley, a gesture the girl quickly returned, burying her face in the young woman's shoulder.

"Are you…." Go Go questioned, pulling away from Riley and cupping the young girl's face with her hands, "Are you….okay?"

"I….I think so," Riley replied, smiling slightly as tears continued to run down her face, "I'm better than I was, at least."

" _It worked!_ " Joy exclaimed happily, " _Our girl is back!_ "

"God, kid, you scared me," Go Go stated, smiling back at Riley as she leaned down and rested her forehead against Riley's, her hair hiding the tears welling up in her own eyes, "Don't do that ever again, okay?"

"I'll try," Riley said with a small laugh before turning towards Tip as the girl kneeled next to her and enveloped her in a hug.

"God, I'm so happy to have you back," Tip whispered before they pulled apart, allowing Riley to embrace her other friends in turn.

"Thanks for not giving up on me, Fred," Riley said as she hugged the young man.

"Would never dream of it, Fargo," Fred replied with a smile.

"And thank you for your help as well, _sensei_ ," Riley said as she fully turned towards Takahito and bowed deeply to him.

"It was my honor," Takahito replied with a small nod and an amused smile, "It proved to be an….intriguing experience."

"I'll say," Wasabi agreed as he ran a hand through his dreadlocks, "Felt like my head was on fire for a moment there."

"Sorry," Riley apologized, wiping the tears from her eyes as she spoke, "That was me. I kind of used your positive emotions to push out all the negative ones that were trapped in my head."

"Well, I'm just happy we could help," Honey said, giving Riley a bright smile.

"You all helped more than you know," Riley stated, looking around at her friends as she spoke.

"It was the least we could do," Go Go replied with a shrug.

"And some of us didn't even do that," Tip grumbled bitterly.

"Huh?" Riley questioned in confusion as she turned her attention towards Tip.

"Hiro? The guy you have a major crush on?" Tip replied as she motioned towards everyone in the group, "Notice he couldn't be bothered to show up."

"I know," Riley replied with a sad sigh before continuing, "But I understand why, and Hiro still managed to help in his own way."

"How so?" Fred questioned, quirking an eyebrow at Riley as he spoke.

"Like Tip said earlier, Hiro and I have a….I don't know, a bond, I guess," Riley explained with a shrug, blushing as she spoke, "I could sense what he was feeling even though he wasn't here. It's what led me to figuring out how to fix what was wrong with me."

"He still should have been here," Tip stated, crossing her arms as she spoke.

"I know," Riley agreed with a nod, "But now he's the one who needs help."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Tip asked, "He doesn't want to see anyone."

"I'm hoping he'll want to see me," Riley replied with a shrug, before she smiled confidently at Tip, "I'm beat for right now but tomorrow, after school, would you like to go to the Lucky Cat with me?"

Despite herself, Tip couldn't help but smirk back at her friend.

"It's a date."

A/N: Hey guys! I'll admit, this chapter proved a little tougher to write but I think I managed to figure it out. Hope you guys liked it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	17. Intervention

**Chapter 17: Intervention**

The morning sun filter in gently through the window of Riley's bedroom, casting the room in a pleasant glow. Riley sat on her bed, dressed for school, daydreaming as she glanced around her room with a smile on her face.

" _It's good to have you back, Riley_ ," Joy's voice whispered inside her mind.

"It's good to be back," Riley muttered back.

"Riley!" her mother's voice came drifting up from the kitchen, "Come down for breakfast or you'll be late for school!"

"Coming!" Riley called, hopping off her bed and picking her backpack up off the floor before exiting her room and making her way downstairs. As she entered the kitchen, she found her mother placing her breakfast onto the table while her father was just finishing his.

"Morning, monkey," Bill greeted Riley through a mouthful of food as he stood up from his chair and brought his plate over to the sink.

"Morning," Riley replied as she sat down in her chair, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of her breakfast, "Wow, pancakes, Mom? On a Wednesday?"

"Well, I thought….after yesterday…." Jill paused, biting her lip while taking a deep breath, prompting Bill to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her into a comforting, one-armed hug.

"What your mother is trying to say is we were worried about you, Riley," Bill explained, setting his fork down as Jill place a hand on his shoulder, "After how you reacted to….well, to everything that happened. After you….turned in on yourself like that….we thought we might have lost you."

Riley paused behind her chair for a moment, resting her hands on its wooden back as she looked at her parents and felt the emotions radiating off of them, a sense of joy and relief, but beneath that, she could also sense a core of fear. After a moment, she realized what the fear represented.

" _Poor Mom and Dad,_ " Sadness muttered in Riley's head.

"And you're worried you might still lose me," Riley stated, walking around the chair and sitting in it as she spoke, "You're worried I might turn in on myself again."

Jill and Bill blinked in surprise before sharing a confused glance.

"That's….very perceptive of you, Riley," Jill commented.

"It wasn't too hard to guess," Riley half-lied with a shrug.

"You're right," Bill confirmed, "What happened to you….it was so sudden and unexpected….we're just worried it could happen again."

"So am I," Riley agreed, causing her parents to blink in surprise at her for a moment, "I mean, I feel better, but not….not fully. I'm….worried that if something like what happened with….if something like that happens again, I'll be right back there. I….I think I can pull myself out again if it happens but….I'd rather not go back there if I can help it."

"That's….very mature of you, Riley," Jill observed with a smile.

"Your mother and I thought it might be best if you kept seeing the grief counselor," Bill stated.

"I think that's a good idea," Riley replied with a small nod, "I'd….I'd like to get the chance to actually talk to her."

"That's an excellent idea," Jill agreed, her smile growing.

Bill smiled as well before sucking in a breath as he glanced at the clock.

"I got to get to work," Bill announced as he stuffed the remainder of his breakfast into his mouth and washed it down with a swig of coffee.

"Have a good day, monkey," Bill said, kissing Riley on the top of her head as he passed.

"You too," Riley replied with a smile, turning to watch her father go.

Turning back towards her mother, Riley found Jill just watching her, a smile on her face but tears welling up in her eyes.

" _Oh no, what's wrong_?" Sadness questioned.

"Mom?" Riley questioned with concern, sensing a strange mixture of happiness and sadness radiating off of Jill, "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just…." Jill paused for a second to collect herself, "I was so worried about you, Riley. If it wasn't for your father and your friends…."

"My friends?" Riley questioned in confusion.

"Your friends were very supportive while you were….gone," Jill explained, "I'm actually fairly certain one of them paid for your therapy."

"Really?" Riley inquired as she blinked in surprise, "Who?"

"I'm not sure," Jill replied with a shrug before she smiled at Riley, "The important thing is that you know how wonderful your friends are."

"Trust me, Mom," Riley replied, giving her mother a warm smile as she spoke, "I know."

"Well, you better hurry up and finish your breakfast then," Jill stated with a smile of her own, "You don't want to keep Tip waiting when she comes over to walk to school."

"Right," Riley agreed, her smile growing as she began to wolf down the rest of her breakfast.

 _Later,_

The afternoon sun was already hanging low over San Fransokyo as Riley and Tip made their way home from school.

"And then, I laughed so hard that the milk came out of my nose!" Riley said, giggling as she spoke and earning a fresh bout of laughter from Tip.

"That's so gross!" Tip laughed as she wiped mirthful tears from her eyes, "I thought that only happened in cartoons!"

"Well, I can personally attest to it," Riley replied as Tip's laughter began to subside.

"I've missed this," Tip stated as she slung her arm over Riley's shoulder.

"Same," Riley replied as she mimicked the action while falling into step with Tip, her expression falling slightly as they walked, "Though there's still something missing."

"Hiro," Tip guessed with a sigh.

"Has really no one been able to talk to him?" Riley questioned.

"He stays in his room all day and doesn't talk to anyone," Tip replied with a shake of her head, "Even Cass is barely able to get more than two words out of him on any given day."

" _Seriously?_ " Anger questioned with annoyance.

"Ugh, things just….they can't go on like this," Riley sighed in annoyance, "I can….I can feel him, you know? Even when I'm not around him. Even when I was….checked out, I could still sense all that blackness eating away at him."

"Blackness?" Tip questioned, "I don't think I follow."

"It's….it's basically how I sense depression," Riley explained, looking worriedly at Tip, "If we don't do something, it will eat him from the inside."

"But what can we do?" Tip questioned, "It's not like you can pull it out of his head or something."

"Well, we have to do something," Riley said resolutely as she began purposefully walking down the street.

" _That's the spirit!_ " Joy said encouragingly.

"Where are you going?" TiP questioned as she hurried to catch up with Riley.

"Where else?" Riley asked in reply before continuing on her way, Tip following along behind her.

Soon enough, Tip and Riley were standing outside the entrance to the Lucky Cat Cafe. The two girls paused for a moment at its entrance before Riley squared her shoulders and entered the building, the bell over the door announcing her arrival.

"Hello, welcome to-" Cass began to say as she looked up from the counter before she stopped as she noticed who had entered, "Riley!"

Riley smiled as Cass hurried out from behind the counter and pulled the girl into a hug.

"It's so good to see you!" Cass squealed as she pulled away from Riley and looked down at the girl, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Riley replied with a shrug, "What about you?"

"Me?" Cass asked, clearly surprised by the question, "I'm fine."

Even as Cass spoke, Riley knew the woman was lying to her, sensing the sadness and fear she was trying to push down.

"Cass," Riley said soberly, "I know you're not. I can tell you're hurting from what's been going with Hiro and….and with what happened to Tadashi."

Cass stiffened at Riley's observation before her smile turned sad.

"You're an insightful young lady," Cass observed, "Did you know that?"

Riley shrugged in reply as she looked down at the floor.

" _Something like that,_ " Joy commented with a snort of amusement.

"Did you both come here to help, Hiro?" Cass questioned as she glanced between Riley and Tip.

"And you," Riley stated as she glanced down at her feet.

Smiling, Cass reached down and cupped Riley's cheek, causing the girl to look up at her.

"That's very sweet of both of you," Cass stated before she sighed sadly and her smile fell away, "I'm not sure how much either of you will be able to help, though. Hiro doesn't seem interested in talking with anyone anymore."

"It can't hurt to try," Riley stated with a small shrug.

"And we can't let him spend the rest of his life locked up in his room," Tip added resolutely.

"Well, then who am I to stop you?" Cass questioned as she gestured towards the staircase that led up to the apartment above, "Good luck."

The girls nodded in reply before they made their way up the stairs. Passing through the first floor, Tip and Riley paused at the foot of the stairs that they both knew led up to the room that Hiro had once shared with his brother.

"Are you ready for this?" Tip questioned as she looked over at Riley.

Riley paused as she looked up at the stairs, a nervous expression flashing across her face.

" _What if this doesn't work_?" Fear whispered in her head, " _What if we just make him angry at us?_ "

" _We have to try,_ " Joy replied, " _We can't just let him stay there forever._ "

Squaring her shoulders, Riley nodded at Tip before she began to make her way up the stairs.

Walking up the stairs, Tip and Riley found the room almost completely dark, illuminated only by what little light that the venetian blinds over the windows allowed through. Quickly scanning the room, Riley managed to spot Hiro sitting in the red beanbag chair that lay on the floor near is bed.

Hiro looked up as the girls made their way to the top of the stairs, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw them.

"Riley?" Hiro questioned as he sat up straight, "Tip? What are you guys doing here?"

" _Geez, why do you think?_ " Disgust snarked.

"We came to check up on you," Riley began as she and Tip walked into the room, a hesitant smile on her face, "We wanted to know how you were feeling."

"Oh," Hiro replied, his previous surprise draining away to form an emotionless mask, "I'm fine."

"Yeah, sure," Tip snorted as she gave Hiro a level look, "Like we're going to believe that."

Riley gave Tip a look of her own as she walked over to one of the windows and opened the blinds, allowing some light to filter into the room. As she did, she noticed a plate of untouched food sitting on Hiro's desk.

"Have you eaten anything recently, Hiro?" Riley questioned as she gave the young man a concerned look.

"I haven't had much of an appetite lately," Hiro replied with a shrug.

" _I'm sure that's healthy_ ," Disgust commented.

As the others spoke, Tip glanced around before noticing something.

"Hey," Tip said as she leaned down and pulled a yellow envelope out of the wastebasket underneath Hiro's desk, "Isn't this your acceptance letter?"

Riley looked at Tip in surprise as she held up the letter in question before turning her gaze towards Hiro, who was pointedly not looking at Tip or the letter.

"Why was that in the trash, Hiro?" Riley questioned in confusion.

"It doesn't matter," Hiro replied with a shrug.

" _Oh no he didn't_ ," Anger growled.

"It doesn't….matter?" Riley asked, looking even more befuddled than she had before, "Hiro, you were dying to get into SFIT, why are you throwing out your invitation?"

"Because I don't want to go anymore, Riley," Hiro answered as he turned to look at her, his rising anger apparent even if she couldn't sense his emotions.

"Don't…want to?" Riley questioned further, her brow furrowing dangerously. As she watched the exchange, Tip suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and she unconsciously took a step away from Riley.

"It was a dumb idea," Hiro replied with a dismissive shrug as he began to stand up, "It was all Tadashi's idea, I never really wanted to-"

" _Alright, that's it!_ " Anger snarled.

"Don't lie to me!" Riley suddenly shouted, her expression turning furious, "I literally know what you're feeling! Don't treat me like I'm stupid, Hiro!"

As Riley shouted, a sudden wave of pressure seemed to surge from the young girl and slam into the others. As it did, a feeling of fiery anger suddenly burned through their minds. The sudden pain in her head caused Tip to grip the sides of her skull while curling up on herself. Hiro, on the other hand, stumbled away from Riley until he reached his bed and tumbled backwards over it before he rolled onto the other side, landing on the floor with a thud.

As she saw Hiro disappear behind his bed, Riley's anger suddenly left her and she let out a shocked gasp while covering her mouth.

" _What….was that_?" Joy questioned in shock.

" _I….I don't know,_ " Anger replied wearily, " _But I think I need to go lay down for a second_."

"Oh my god!" Riley said as she rapidly glanced between Tip and Hiro, "Are you guys okay!?"

"Yeah, I think so," Tip replied as she stood up straight again, rubbing her temples as she did, "What the hell was that?"

"I….I think that….it's something that started developing right before….before everything happened," Riley explained hesitantly, "I'm trying to get control of it. I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine," Tip insisted as she glanced over at Hiro's bed, "You should probably go check on him though."

Nodding in reply, Riley moved over to Hiro, who was in the process of pulling himself back up onto his bed.

"Are you okay, Hiro?" Riley questioned as the young man pushed himself into a seated position on the edge of his bed.

"I think I bumped my head a little," Hiro answered as he gingerly touched the back of his skull before letting out a hiss of pain, "Ow."

As Hiro finished speaking, a high-pitched beep came from the direction of Tadashi's bed, followed by the sound of something being inflated. A few moments later, Baymax rose into view, his black eyes blinking as he finished inflating.

There was a long, quiet moment as Hiro, Riley and Tip looked at Baymax in surprise. Baymax, for his part, glanced down at where he stood, wedged in the small space between Tadashi's bed and the wall. Taking a moment to glance to either side, Baymax began to awkwardly shuffle step his way around the bed, his vinyl skin squeaking loudly as he did. Eventually, he made it around the bed, knocking a small stack of books off a table as he went, and paused to glance back at the space he had just emerged from before turning his attention towards Hiro, Riley, and Tip.

"Hello," Baymax greeted them as he gave his strange, circular wave, "I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion."

"Oh, uh, hey, Baymax," Hiro replied after getting over his surprise, "I didn't know you were still active."

"I heard a sound of distress," Baymax explained as he cocked his head to the side, "What seems to be the trouble?"

"Oh, I just hit my head a little," Hiro answered, rubbing the back of his head for emphasis, "I'm fine."

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?" Baymax questioned as he began displaying a cartoony looking pain chart on his chest.

"A zero?" Hiro replied with a shrug as he stood up from his bed, "I'm okay, really. You can shrink back down now."

"Does it hurt when I touch it?" Baymax inquired as he reached towards Hiro's head.

"That's okay, no touching," Hiro said as he stopped Baymax from touching him and gently pushed the robot back.

"He's only trying to help," Riley pointed out.

"I don't need his help," Hiro replied, glancing over at Riley and narrowing his eyes slightly, "His or anyone else's."

"Yeah, sure," Tip stated with a snort of derision.

"Look, I-" Hiro began to argue, but stopped when he noticed Baymax trying to touch his head again, "Stop that!"

"Please, allow me to examine your injury," Baymax stated as he continued trying to touch Hiro's head. Backpedalling away from Baymax, Hiro tried to keep the robot away from him, only to trip over a toolbox he had left on the floor and tumble backwards, falling in a heap in the small space between his desk and his bed in an uncomfortable tangle of limbs.

"Ow," Hiro groaned.

"Oh jeez, Hiro, are you okay!?" Riley exclaimed as she and Tip rushed over to the young man's side.

"You have fallen," Baymax observed as he walked up behind the girls and leaned over them.

"You think?" Hiro questioned, a note of hostility in his voice as he began reaching around for something to grab on to.

"Here," Riley said as she stepped forward to offer Hiro her hand.

"I'm fine," Hiro replied, ignoring her hand as he grabbed hold of a shelf above his desk, "I don't need your help."

" _You know, this guy is starting to rub me the wrong way,_ " Anger grumbled while Riley narrowed her eyes at Hiro.

As Hiro tried to pull himself up, the support holding the shelf up suddenly broke under his weight, dumping its contents, a collection of action figures, directly onto Hiro, who let out a yelp of pain. There was a pause as Riley and Tip looked down at Hiro in shock while Anger let out a barking laugh of amusement.

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?" Baymax questioned obliviously.

"Zero," Hiro growled from underneath the heap of action figures.

"It is alright to cry," Baymax said as he stepped past Riley and Tip before bending down and picking Hiro up bridal-style despite the boy's protests, "Crying is a natural response to pain."

"I'm not crying," Hiro replied as he quickly pushed himself out of Baymax's arms, shooting Tip a glare as she suppressed a snicker.

"I will scan you for injuries," Baymax declared.

"Don't scan me," Hiro replied as he pointed up at Baymax.

"Scan complete," Baymax stated as he looked Hiro up and down with a glance.

"Unbelievable," Hiro sighed as he threw his hands into the air in defeat.

"You have sustained no injuries," Baymax announced, holding one finger in the air as he spoke, "However, your hormone and neurotransmitter levels indicate that you are experiencing mood swings common in adolescence. Diagnosis: puberty."

"Whoa, what?" Hiro responded as Tip let out another barely suppressed snort of amusement, "Okay, I think it's time for you to shrink now."

"You should expect an increase in body hair," Baymax continued as Hiro walked over to where the robot's case sat and picked it up, the cartoon image of a man appearing on his chest with areas of body hair growth marked, "Especially on your face, chest, armpits and-"

"Thank you!" Hiro interrupted as he placed the case down in front of Baymax before he pulled the robot towards it, "That's enough."

"You may also experience strange and powerful new urges," Baymax went on, unperturbed as Hiro tried to stuff him back into the case, "Many relating to the opposite sex."

There was an awkward pause as Hiro stopped what he was doing and looked over at the girls, locking eyes with Riley as he did. After a moment, the two abruptly looked away from one another, their faces bright red. Tip, for her part, let out a short bark of laughter.

"Okay!" Hiro declared far too loudly as he resumed trying to force Baymax back into his case, "Let's get you back in your luggage."

"I cannot deactivate until you say you are satisfied with your care," Baymax explained as Hiro pushed him down to half his usual height, his sides bulging from the compressed air within him.

"Fine," Hiro growled as he lay on top of Baymax's compressed form, pushing down on the robot with all his strength, "I'm satisfied with my-"

Before Hiro could finish, Baymax and his case suddenly slid out from underneath them, causing Hiro to land on the floor, flat on his face.

" _Graceful_ ," Disgust snarked.

"You okay, Hiro?" Riley asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just…." Hiro trailed off as he looked at something under his bed in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Tip asked as she noticed Hiro's expression.

Ignoring her, Hiro crawled across the floor and reached under his bed, pulling out one of his hoodies as he did. Holding it up, Hiro reached into the hoodie's pocket and pulled out a lone microbot, which thrashed about in his palm like a disoriented insect.

"Is that a microbot?" Riley questioned as she narrowed her eyes at what Hiro was holding.

"Yeah," Hiro confirmed with a nod of his head, his expression turning pensive, "It doesn't make any sense."

"Puberty can be a confusing time for a young adolescent flowering into manhood," Baymax stated.

"No, that's not it," Hiro replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, as he turned towards his desk and placed the microbot in a petri dish, watching as it rolled around and tried to force its way free, "This thing is attached to the other microbots."

"But that's impossible," Riley commented, "They were all destroyed in….in the fire."

"It's not a big deal," Hiro stated with a shrug as he stepped away from his desk, "Dumb thing must be broken."

"Anyway," Tip spoke up as she crossed her hands over her chest, "Like we were saying, you can't stay in here forever, Hiro."

"You sure?" Hiro questioned with a snort as he sat on his bed, "I don't see any reason why I need to leave. What's for me out there?"

" _That jerk!_ " Disgust declared as the other emotions gasped in shock.

A pained expression crossed Riley's face as Tip glanced between her and Hiro.

While the others talked, Baymax wandered over to the petri dish, leaning down to examine it curiously. Reaching down, Baymax picked the dish up with both hands and held it up to get a better look at it.

" _Maybe….maybe he doesn't mean it?_ " Joy supplied hopefully.

"You don't mean that," Riley said quietly, looking at the floor as she spoke.

Hiro looked at her for a few moments before he sighed and turned away.

"Look, it's not that….it's not that I don't care," Hiro explained, "I just…."

"What are you so afraid of?" Riley questioned, raising her head to look Hiro in the eye.

As the others continued to talk, Baymax began to turn in a circle, noting that the microbot kept changing the direction it attempted to go in every time he moved.

"I'm not afraid of anything," Hiro replied, his eyes narrowing in reply.

" _Liar,_ " Anger snarled.

"What did I tell you about lying to me?" Riley practically growled, her eyes narrowing, "I can feel your fear!"

"Well, maybe you should stay out of my head!" Hiro snapped in return.

"Your tiny robot is trying to go somewhere," Baymax observed as he looked over at Hiro and the girls obliviously.

"Then why don't you find out where it's trying to go!" Hiro barked at Baymax, "You want to help me so much, then get out of here!"

"Don't yell at him, he's just trying to help!" Riley snapped, bringing Hiro's attention back to her, "Just like we are!"

"Uh, guys," Tip said as she watched Baymax promptly leave the room.

"I didn't ask for you help!" Hiro shouted.

"Guys?" Tip repeated as she walked over to the stairs and looked down them.

"Fine, Hiro!" Riley all but screamed, "If you want to stay up here by yourself so much, maybe we'll just leave you up here to starve!"

"Guys!" Tip shouted.

"What!?" they shouted back in tandem as they spun to face her.

"In case you two didn't notice, Baymax just wandered out the front door!" Tip replied, her sentence punctuated by the sound of the bell above the cafe door jingling from downstairs.

" _Uh oh,_ " Fear whispered.

Hiro and Riley stared at Tip in shock before the sounds of tires screeching and horns blaring cut through the air. Looking at each other in panic, the three quickly ran over to one of the windows and opened the shades to look out. Watching with wide eyes, the trio observed Baymax as he walked directly through the intersection outside the Cafe, oblivious to the cars screeching to a halt around him as he kept his gaze focused on the petri dish in his hands.

"What!?" Hiro shouted before quickly spinning around, the girls following his lead as he began scrambling around looking for his shoes and sweatshirt.

"We have to go after him!" Tip declared as Hiro pulled on one of his shoes.

"Where's my other shoe!?" Hiro shouted as he desperately searched around for it.

"Here!" Riley called as she tossed the shoe at Hiro, who flubbed the catch, allowing the shoe to hit him in the face. Hiro let out a yelp of pain as it struck him before he quickly picked it up and slipped the shoe on before following the girls as they rushed down the stairs after Baymax.

" _Oh, this couldn't possibly get any worse!_ " Fear declared as they left.

A/N: Definitely an interesting chapter to write. I hope you guys enjoyed it. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	18. Breaking and Entering

**Chapter 18: Breaking and Entering**

Reaching the bottom of the stairs at record speeds, Hiro, Riley and Tip rushed through the Cafe, dodging around customers as they went. Just as they reached the door, however, Cass happened to step in front of them, blinking startledly as the trio skidded to a halt before her.

"Hiro?" Cass questioned in surprise as she looked down at her nephew.

" _Oh, not now!_ " Disgust grumbled.

"Hey, Aunt Cass," Hiro greeted with a nervous smile while Tip and Riley glanced past the woman.

"Wow, you're up, and…." Cass looked at Riley and Tip, beaming at them as they gave her awkward smiles of their own, "And you're with your friends."

"Yeah, they, uh, they really kicked my butt into gear," Hiro replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Are you going to register for school?" Cass questioned hopefully, oblivious to the fact that the three children kept glancing around her.

"Uh, yeah," Hiro replied distractedly as he watched Baymax turn a corner a block away, prompting him and the girls to begin maneuvering around Cass, "I thought about what you said. Really inspired me."

"Oh honey, that's so great," Cass cooed as she pulled Hiro into a hug. Riley paused to watch, feeling the warmth coming off Cass as Hiro awkwardly returned the hug and Tip inched her way out the door.

" _Okay, I know we're in a rush and all, but seeing this is so awesome,_ " Joy commented.

"Okay, you go have fun with your friends," Cass said as she stepped away from Hiro and nodded towards Tip and Riley, "And tonight, we'll have a special dinner. I'll, uh, I'll whip up some chicken wings. You know, with the hot sauce that makes your face numb."

"Okay, sounds good," Hiro agreed as he stepped out the door with Tip.

Riley moved to follow them, but was stopped as Cass suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you," Cass whispered, the warmth of her joy causing the surprised Riley to smile and return the hug.

"It-It was really no problem," Riley replied with an embarrassed shrug as the two stepped away from each other, the girl tucking a stray hair behind one of her ears.

"That doesn't mean I can't say thank you," Cass argued with a genuine smile as she gently cupped Riley's face with one hand, "I expect to see you at dinner tonight too."

"Of course," Riley agreed with a nod.

"I won't hold you all up any longer," Cass stated as she stepped away from Riley, looking over at Tip and Hiro standing anxiously by the door, "You all have fun!"

"Yep, bye!" Hiro replied as he ushered Riley out the door before the three of them took off running in the direction they had last seen Baymax going in.

"Baymax!" they called as they raced after the robot, dodging around pedestrians as they tried to close the distance with the android, who they were only able to catch glimpses of as he ducked around corners while dutifully following the microbot's directions. Eventually, they found themselves running through a maze of back alleys as they followed Baymax to some dark, forgotten corner of the city.

" _Oh, I don't like this,_ " Fear whined, " _This looks like a bad part of town_."

Running down a final alley, the trio found themselves in an area dominated by abandoned warehouses. Huffing and puffing, they looked around for any sign of Baymax, eventually spotting the robot standing in front of the doors leading into one of the warehouses.

" _Finally!_ " Disgust exclaimed.

"Baymax!" Tip called as the three jogged over to the robot, prompting him to turn towards them as they approached.

"Are you crazy!?" Hiro demanded as they came to a stop in front of Baymax, "What are you doing!?"

"I found where your tiny robot wants to go," Baymax explained, holding up the petri dish as proof.

"I told you, it's broken," Hiro huffed, catching his breath, taking the petri from Baymax and looking at it as he spoke, "It's not trying to go..."

Hiro trailed off as he began moving the petri dish back and forth, looking at the trapped microbot in confusion.

"What is it?" Riley questioned as she and Tip looked at the microbot as well.

"He's right," Hiro replied as he stepped towards the door, "The microbot, it's trying to get into the warehouse."

"Why would it want to do that?" Tip questioned.

"I don't know," Hiro replied as he examined the padlock holding the door closed, "But I think we need to find out."

"You want to go in there?" Riley questioned as she looked the warehouse over, "You sure that's a good idea?"

"No," Hiro admitted with a sigh, "But something's going on here. Something affecting my tech. I need to figure out what."

"Well, I don't see how we're getting in with that big old lock on the door," Tip commented as she nodded towards the padlock.

"There is a window," Baymax announced as he looked up. Following his gaze, the trio spotted an open window ten or so feet above a shipping container sitting nearby.

"How are we supposed to reach that?" Riley questioned.

Biting his lip thoughtful, Hiro glanced over at Baymax before doing a double take and looking the robot up and down.

"I've got an idea," he announced.

After clambering on top of the shipping container, the trio had Baymax stand with his back to the wall before Hiro began clambering up the robot, his feet distorting the android's inflated face comically.

"This is a terrible idea," Tip commented, her expression dubious as Riley stood beside her worrying her bottom lip.

"Nah, this is easy," Hiro replied with a grunt of effort as he positioned himself on top of Baymax's head and reached for the windowsill, "No sweat."

"Please exercise caution," Baymax pleaded monotonically, "A fall from this height could lead to bodily harm."

Gripping the windowsill, Hiro pulled himself up enough to allow him to look through the window. The area beyond was large and open, typical for any warehouse. None of the electric lights were on, casting the whole building in a dark gloom. The window was situated on the second floor of the warehouse, made up of a network of catwalks that hung suspended over the first floor.

"Do you see anything?" Riley questioned.

"Not yet," Hiro replied with a shake of his head before grunting as he pulled himself in through the window. Standing up, Hiro squinted his eyes as he scanned the dimly lit interior before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the petri dish. Looking at the microbot held within, he noted that it was trying to move towards an area within the bowels of the shadowy warehouse.

Hearing a sound from behind him, Hiro turned around to find Riley climbing through the window before she turned and helped Tip through as well.

"Alright," Tip said in a low whisper as she brushed her hands off, "Now wh-"

Tip was interrupted by a loud squeaking sound from behind them. Spinning around, the trio found Baymax sticking halfway through the window, his inflated bulk stopping him from coming all the way through.

"Oh no," Baymax stated with a note of impassive distress, his voice echoing off the metal walls of the warehouse. Hearing this the trio quickly shushed him, prompting Baymax to shush them back at a lower volume in apparent understanding.

"Excuse me while I let out some air," Baymax stated before a loud hissing sound began to emanate from Baymax as his bulk began to reduce. The trio froze as the sound carried through the whole building, their eyes wide as Baymax shrunk to half of his width.

" _Well, now that the whole block knows we're here…._ " Disgust commented.

"Are you done?" Hiro questioned after the hissing stopped.

"Yes," Baymax replied obliviously.

Stepping forward, Tip and Riley each grabbed one of Baymax's arms before they dragged him the rest of the way through the window.

"It will take me a moment to re-inflate," Baymax explained from his position on the floor.

"Fine," Hiro replied as he began making his way towards a set of stairs that led down to the first floor, "Just keep it down."

Making their way to the first floor, the girls followed Hiro as he used the microbot to navigate them deeper into the warehouse. Turning a corner, Hiro suddenly stopped dead in his tracks causing the girls to bump into him.

"What are you-" Tip began to say but stopped as Hiro spun to face her, holding his finger up to his lips, his eyes wide. After Tip fell quiet, Hiro indicated to something around the corner. Shooting nervous glances at one another, Riley and Tip crept up to the corner and peeked around it. Down the hall, a semi transparent plastic tarp had been set up on a metal frame, through which shadowy figures could be seen moving.

"What should we do?" Tip whispered as she and Riley ducked back behind the corner.

"Is the microbot leading you over there?" Riley asked Hiro.

Hiro checked the petri dish before nodding in confirmation.

"Well then," Riley said with a nod as she squared her shoulders, "I guess we better go check it out."

" _No, no, I disagree with this course of action!_ " Fear squeaked.

With that, Riley turned and began cautiously walking around the corner and towards the tarp. As she walked away from them, Tip and Hiro shared a glance before the boy shrugged and motioned for the girl to go ahead of him. Tip rolled her eyes in response before following after Riley while Hiro brought up the rear.

As they approached the tarp, the trio saw that there were other frames set up in a square around what seemed to be a collection of automatic machinery, all buzzing with activity as they performed their designed functions. His brow furrowing, Hiro walked past the tarps, discovering that the machinery was set up as an assembly line, the end of which was a conveyor belt that deposited freshly manufactured microbots into a plastic trash barrel.

"My microbots?" Hiro questioned in confusion as he dipped his hands into the bucket and scooped a few dozen out, "What the hell is this?"

"Look," Riley whispered in shock as she pointed past Hiro. Lifting his head, Hiro's eyes widened in surprise as he saw that line up before them were more of the trash barrels, dozens upon dozens of them, each filled to the brim with microbots.

"Somebody's making more of them," Hiro whispered after taking a moment to refind his voice.

"Uh, guys," Tip said nervously, catching Hiro and Riley's attention, "I think you should take a look at this."

Following Tip's gaze, Hiro and Riley saw that a wall nearby was dominated by a map of the city, on which various notes had been written and piece of paper had been pinned to with lines of red string interconnecting them.

"What the hell is that?" Riley questioned.

"Nothing good," Hiro replied with a shake of his head as he began approaching the map.

"Hello," Baymax suddenly said as he walked up behind the trio, causing them all to jump and let out small cries of surprise, all eclipsed by the sound of Fear shrieking inside Riley's head.

"Baymax!" Hiro said breathlessly as he clutched his chest, "You gave me a heart attack!"

"My hands are equipped with defibrillators," Baymax stated as he rubbed his hands together before holding them up towards Hiro, an audible electric buzz filling the air as the palms of his hands glowed blue, "Clear."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Hiro said quickly, holding his hands up as emphasis while backing away from Baymax, "It's just an expression!"

" _Um guys,_ " Anger suddenly spoke up, his voice hesitant, " _I don't want to alarm anyone, but...I think I'm getting something here._ "

" _What do you mean, 'you're getting something'?_ " Disgust questioned.

" _Look, I'm still trying to figure out how these empathy readings work,_ " Anger grumbled in reply, " _All I know is I'm picking up some serious anger, and it's not coming from our two buddies over there._ "

" _So, what you're saying is…_ " Sadness began to say, pausing to gulp nervously.

"There's someone else here," Riley finished the thought outloud.

"What was that?" Tip questioned as she and Hiro turned towards Riley.

"Guys, I can feel…" Riley paused, her eyes widening as the sensation abruptly became stronger, "There's somebody else here!"

As Riley spoke, the petri dish began to vibrate in Hiro's hands. Looking down at the trapped microbot, Hiro saw that it was desperately trying to move in the direction opposite of the way he was facing. Suddenly, the sound of millions of shifting microbots filled the air as they all began ominously rising out of their barrels, their movements mechanical and precise, like Lego blocks rapidly assembling themselves before their eyes. Tip and Riley's faces went pale as they tracked the movement while Hiro spun around and began slowly backing away.

" _We! Should! Be! RUNNING!_ " Fear screamed.

"Oh no," Baymax stated a moment before the microbots rushed towards them like a massive swarm of insects. Letting out screams of panic, Hiro, Riley and Tip quickly spun around and began running away from the microbot swarm as fast as their legs could carry them. As they ran, Hiro happened to glance behind him before he turned around and skidded to a halt, prompting the girls to do the same.

"Oh, come on!" Hiro called out, exasperation mixing with terror.

Behind them, Baymax was following along at his normal walking pace, the microbot swarm drawing dangerously close to him.

"I am not fast," Baymax said simply.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Riley shouted as she rushed back, grabbed Baymax by the hand and began running away from the swarm, Tip and Hiro following behind.

"Go! Go! Come on!" Hiro shouted, urging the others on, until they reached a door leading outside and threw his shoulder against it. The metal clanged but did not budge causing Hiro to bounce off of it and stumble back half a step. Quickly catching himself, Hiro threw a kick at it, which also proved to be ineffectual.

Her eyes wide with fear, Tip turned her attention towards the much larger Baymax.

"Kick it down!" Tip shouted up at Baymax while gesturing towards the door. Baymax glanced at Tip before looking down at his feet and throwing a short kick at the door, his nubbed foot bouncing off the steel door with a squeak.

"Ugh!" Hiro groaned as he and the girls turned to look behind them, watching in horror as the swarm of microbots surged towards them. Letting out a squeak of fear, Riley quickly spun Baymax around and shoved him away from the door, the others following as the microbot swarm slammed against the door a moment later.

Doing her best to keep up with Tip and Hiro as they led the way, Riley blindly pushed Baymax forward as she ran. Running towards a neglected corner of the warehouse that was little more that a twisted nest of old, rusted pipes, Hiro and Tip hopped over a large pipe that ran across the ground. Riley, however, did not see the pipe, causing Baymax to trip over it and fall flat on his face, his tiny legs kicking the air helplessly while Riley rolled over his back and landed on her rear in front of him.

"Riley!" Hiro shouted in fear as he skidded to a halt and doubled back, Tip following behind him. Reaching Riley, Hiro quickly grabbed her by her arms and hoisted her back to her feet while Tip grabbed hold of one of Baymax's hands and physically pulled him over the pipe, allowing the robot to get his feet back under him.

"Go, go go!" Hiro shouted as the four of them continued running, Tip practically dragging Baymax behind her, causing the robot to hit his head on one of the low hanging pipes. Turning a corner, the group found a piece of large, abandoned machinery sitting before them, a hatch allowing access into the machine through a narrow passageway that led directly to the other side.

"Through there!" Hiro shouted as he pointed at the hatch.

"It's too narrow!" Tip shouted in despair as the four of them came to a half in front of the hatch, "Baymax will never fit!"

"He'll fit, he's practically half balloon!" Hiro replied before grabbing Baymax and positioning the robot in front of him, "Come on!"

Shoving Baymax in the back, Hiro forced the robot into the hatch, his inflated body bunching up while his vinyl skin squeaked loudly against the metal walls as the boy forced him forward, the girls following closely behind them. Reaching the other side, Hiro quickly spun around and slammed the hatch shut before he and the girls moved to seal it with a bar built into the hatch. Before they could though, the microbot swarm slammed against the hatch from the other side, bursting it open and sending the group flying, the three children landing and rolling across the cement floor while Baymax crashed into an open shaft in the floor.

After quickly picking himself off the floor and helping the girls to their feet, Hiro moved to assist Baymax, the robot's feet again kicking the air helplessly, before he noticed that the shaft the android was stuck in led to an air duct running underneath the floor. Glancing back, Hiro's eyes widened in horror as he saw the microbots swarming out of the machine towards them.

"Move!" Hiro shouted as he shoved Baymax down the shaft before jumping in after him, the girls following behind him. The four of them quickly crawled through the shafts, abruptly changing direction multiple times as the microbots began seeping into the vents. After a few terrifying seconds of scrambling through the vents, the sound of the crawling microbots echoing all around them, Hiro pushed open a panel above them and the three children clambered out before pulling Baymax out as well.

As they ran across the top of the vent, the mircobots came swarming after them, slamming panels up until it got directly below the group and surged upwards, sending the four of them flying into the air. After a horrifying moment of freefall, the group fell onto one of the catwalks.

Groaning in pain, Hiro picked himself up and looked around for any sign of the microbots. As he did, Hiro saw someone standing at one of the far ends of the catwalk. Hiro couldn't make out much of the person as they stood in the shadows and appeared to be dressed mainly in a long black coat with matching boots and gloves, but from based on the person's frame and height, Hiro guessed the person was a man. The most noticeable feature of the person was the white mask that concealed their features, their rest of their head hidden under a black hood. The mask resembled those worn by kabuki performers, with red lines painted across the bridge of its nose and its brow, while it seemed to stare at Hiro with pupilless, yellow eyes.

As Hiro watched, the masked man began to approach them, raising his hands as he went, which caused the microbots to swarm up onto the catwalk behind him. Turning away from the masked man, Hiro spotted an open window at the opposite end of the catwalk.

"Up!" Hiro shouted as he pulled Baymax to his feet, "The window! Get to the window!"

Seeing the masked man as well, Riley and Tip quickly pulled themselves to their feet before running away from him, following Hiro as he pushed Baymax in front of him. Reaching the open window, Hiro attempted to shove Baymax through it, only for the bulky robot to get stuck, Hiro bouncing off the android's rear end and stumbling back half a step.

"He's coming!" Riley said, her voice filled with terror as she and Tip ran up next to Hiro.

"Come on, push him through!" Tip shouted before she began pushing on Baymax's backside, prompting the others to do the same.

"Suck it in!" Hiro shouted at Baymax as the three of them pushed on him with all their might. Suddenly, Baymax's weight shifted and the window spun on its hinges, resulting in Baymax's top half to face into the warehouse while his rear end hung out the window, the three children clinging desperately to him as they dangled above the ground a story below them.

"Whoa!" Riley exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around one of Baymax's legs.

" _Too_ _high!_ " Fear screeched, " _Too high!_ "

"Oh my God!" Tip screamed, her legs kicking as she desperately tried to cling to Baymax's back, "Oh my God!"

"Baymax!" Hiro called, his voice full of fear.

"Hiro?" Baymax questioned before crossing his arms in front of his face as the microbots surged forward and slammed into him, knocking the robot out of the window and sending all four of them flying through the air. The force of the blow knocked them out in such a way that Baymax fell in front of the three children. As they fell, Baymax managed to wrap his arms around all three of them and pull them protectively to his chest while turning his back towards the ground. Landing on the top of the small, tin roofed building that sat directly below the window, Baymax bounced off it, flipped through the air again, and landed flat on his back on the ground, the children bouncing off his stomach as he landed and rolling onto the ground a few feet away.

"Everybody okay!?" Riley questioned as she quickly got back to her feet before helping Tip up as well.

"Yeah!" Hiro called back as he pulled Baymax upright, "Come on, we've got to get out of here!"

Nodding in reply, Riley and Tip followed behind Hiro as he dragged Baymax along.

" _I think,_ " Fear stated with a wobbly voice, " _I think I'm going to go lay down_."

" _Who the heck was that guy!?_ " Anger demanded as Riley and the others ran ran.

Feeling another surge of anger, Riley glanced over her shoulder and spotted the masked man glaring down at them from the window they had jumped out of.

" _I don't know,_ " Joy stated, sounding oddly subdued, " _But I don't think we've seen the last of him_."

A/N: Another fun chapter to write, hope you guys enjoyed it as well. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	19. Bonding

**Chapter 19: Bonding**

A police precinct sat not far from any of the three children's home, a fact that both Hiro and Riley were intimately familiar with. All three of them were currently standing in front of the desk sergeant, quickly relating the events that had happened to them shortly before, Batmax standing silently behind the group, his skin looking saggier than it had back in the warehouse.

"All right, let me get this straight," the desk sergeant said with a sigh as the group finished telling him their story, "A man in a kabuki mask attacked you with an army of miniature, flying robots."

"Microbots," Hiro clarified, holding up the microbot he still had trapped in a petri dish as proof.

"...Microbots," the desk sergeant allowed, a dubious tone in his voice as he typed a note onto his computer.

"Yeah!" Hiro confirmed with a rapid nod of his head, "He was controlling them telepathically with a neurocranial transmitter."

"So, Mr. Kabuki was using ESP to attack you three and balloon man over there," the desk sergeant surmised, watching Baymax as the robot walked up to the desk and took a piece of scotch tape from the dispenser sitting on the desk.

As they watched, Baymax reinflated one of his arms to its full volume before the air began loudly hissing out of three punctures in the vinyl. Baymax quickly covered one of the holes with the tape, causing the hissing sound to rise an octave. Baymax continued the process until he had patched all the holes in his arm, prompting him to inflate his other arm and begin working on the punctures in it as well.

The desk sergeant sighed, pushing the tape dispenser towards Baymax before turning his attention back to the three children.

" _I'm starting to think he doesn't believe us,_ " Joy observed.

" _Gee, you think?_ " Disgust questioned sarcastically.

"Officer, please, you know us," Riley stated, "We wouldn't lie."

"You're right, I do know you," the officer replied as he eyed Riley, "As I recall, two of you were locked in here for a couple of hours a few months back."

" _Smooth_ ," Disgust said with a snort as Tip pinched the bridge of her nose while Riley smiled nervously.

"Well, we weren't charged at least," Riley argued.

"Stop talking," Tip whispered sharply.

"Okay," Riley replied as she seemed to shrink in on herself slightly.

"Did you file a report when your flying robots were stolen?" the desk sergeant questioned as he turned towards Hiro.

"Why do you keep calling them flying?" Tip questioned, annoyance clear on her face, "We didn't say they were flying. Are you even listening to us?"

"Did you file a report or not?" the desk sergeant pressed, ignoring Tip's question.

"No," Hiro groaned as he ran a hand through his messy hair, "I thought they had all been destroyed."

"Officer, we know this sounds crazy, but we all saw it," Riley pleaded before indicating to Baymax, "Even Baymax saw it!"

"Yes, officer," Baymax confirmed, "They are telling the truuuuuth."

The trio of children blinked in surprise as Baymax suddenly slurred his words and seemed to stumble for a second, his posture becoming slouched and his arms moving in jerky motions.

" _That doesn't seem good,_ " Sadness observed.

"Um, are you okay, Baymax?" Riley questioned cautiously.

"Loooow batteryyyy," Baymax slurred, the corresponding symbol appearing on his chest, before making a noise that could only be described as a hiccup.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Hiro said, holding his hands up as Baymax began to stumble towards him, "Try to keep it together!"

"I'm healthcare," Baymax slurred as he began to tip over, prompting the trio to run over and prop him up, "Your personal Baymax companion."

"Look, kids," the desk sergeant said with a sigh as he wheeled his chair over to another part of his desk and grabbed a pen and clipboard, "Why don't we call your parents?"

"What?" Hiro questioned, his voice laced with fear.

"If you three could just write down your names and numbers, I can-" the desk sergeant started to say, but when he turned back, he found that the four had vanished, with only a trail of scotch tape marking their passage.

"What was that about?" Tip demanded as she helped Riley and Hiro get Baymax safely down the stair that led to the entrance of the precinct.

"Do you want to get our parents involved in this?" Hiro questioned in return, giving Tip a pointed look, "Either they'll freak out or they'll think we're crazy like that guy did."

" _That sounds bad,_ " Fear stated.

Tip didn't look satisfied with this but didn't argue either.

"Besides, I need to get Baymax home so he can recharge," Hiro stated before he turned his attention towards the robot in question, "Can you walk?"

"Scanning you now," Baymax replied as he stood up straight and raised one hand with a single finger extended before he leaned backwards and fell into a sitting position, hiccuping as he did, "Healthcare."

"I'll take that as a 'no,'" Hiro sighed as he stepped forward and put one of Baymax's arms around his shoulders.

"Here let me help," Riley said as she stepped towards Hiro and Baymax.

"No, it's okay, I don't…." Hiro began to say but Riley ignored him as she walked over to Baymax's other side and threw his arm over her shoulder, "...need your help."

" _Yeah, that's right,_ " Anger laughed, " _Why don't you keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you!_ "

Tip watched as Riley helped Hiro stand Baymax up, taking note of the way that the other girl was purposefully not looking at the boy.

"Speaking of which, I should probably be getting home," Tip stated, glancing up at the sky as she spoke, "My mom is probably wondering where I am."

"You sure?" Riley questioned as she looked over at Tip.

" _Oh please, don't leave us alone!_ " Fear begged, " _Not like this!_ "

"Yeah, I think I've had enough craziness for one day," Tip replied with a chuckle, making a point of looking at Riley before glancing over at Hiro, "Try not to break into any other supervillain lairs without me, alright?"

" _It's fine,_ " Joy reassured the others, " _We've got this, it's fine_."

"Okay," Riley agreed with a chuckle, "See you tomorrow!"

"See ya!" Tip called back before she began jogging in the direction of home.

"Um, shouldn't you be getting home too?" Hiro questioned cautiously after Tip had left.

"Your aunt invited me to dinner," Riley replied, her smile falling away as she glanced over at Hiro, "Is that a problem?"

"N-No," Hiro replied, caught off guard by the heat in Riley's voice, "No problem at all."

" _Yeah, I didn't think so_ ," Anger snorted.

With that, the two set off towards the Lucky Cat Cafe, supporting Baymax between them while an uncomfortable silence hung in the air.

The sun had already mostly set by the time Hiro, Riley and Baymax reached the Lucky Cat Cafe, prompting Hiro to let them in through the back.

"Okay, if my aunt asks, we were just hanging out this afternoon, alright?" Hiro requested as he and Riley helped Baymax into the house.

"Got it," Riley confirmed with a nod.

"We jumped out a window!" Baymax declared loudly as he leaned down to Hiro and Riley's level.

"No, quiet!" Hiro hissed as Riley moved to cover Baymax's mouth.

"We jumped out a window," Baymax repeated at a lower volume.

" _Oh, this is bad,_ " Fear moaned.

"You can't say things like that around Aunt Cass," Hiro said with a pleading voice, before putting a finger up to his lips and shushing Baymax, an action that the robot drunkenly copied.

Riley and Hiro shared an uneasy look before they began to make their way up the stairs to the apartment above. As they did, Baymax attempted to follow, only to trip and bump into the walls loudly. Riley and Hiro froze mid way up the stairs and looked down at Baymax, who looked back up at them before shushing them again.

"Hiro?" Cass called from the apartment above, "Is that you, sweetie?"

" _This is very bad!_ " Fear declared again.

"Uh, yeah, it's me," Hiro replied as he made his way up the stairs, glancing nervously back at Baymax as Riley followed him.

"I thought I heard you," Cass stated, "Is Riley with you?"

"Right here!" Riley answered with a smile and a wave as she peeked her head around the corner once she reached the top of the stairs.

"Oh good, you made it," Cass said happily as she leaned against one of the kitchen counters, "I let your parents know you were eating dinner with us. Figured you might have forgotten."

" _Ugh, doy,_ " Disgust grumbled before Riley heard the emotion smack her own forehead, " _We completely forgot!_ "

"Oh, thanks," Riley replied with a nervous chuckle as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear, "I actually did forget."

"I got you covered," Cass replied with a wink before she turned back towards the kitchen, "The wings are almost ready too."

"Woooo!" Baymax suddenly declared as he came thundering up the stairs, throwing one hand up in a 'rock on' gesture as he did. Reacting on pure instinct, Riley spun around and kicked Baymax in the chest, sending the robot stumbling back down a few steps before he managed to catch himself.

"Yeah, wooo, wings!" Cass called, oblivious to the action happening behind her as she continued preparing the food.

Grabbing hold of Baymax, Hiro dragged the robot up onto the landing and began forcing him up the stairs to the second floor, but the android's constant flopping and stumbling made the task difficult.

"All right, get ready to have your faces melted off!" Cass declared as she began setting the food on the kitchen table, "We are going to feel these things tomorrow."

"Uh, actually, Aunt Cass," Hiro began to say as he successfully shoved Baymax up the stairs to the second floor, "I'm feeling kind of beat, so I was-"

Hiro's words died in his throat as Riley abruptly punched him in the kidney, causing him to double over in pain and let out a wheezing cough.

"What the hell, Riley?" Hiro snarled in a hushed tone as he turned towards the girl, "I'm not-"

Whatever angry retort Hiro had was rendered powerless as his gaze met Riley's angry glare. The girl's look was so intense that Hiro could swear that her blue eyes were boring into his skull. What truly gave Hiro pause was the sensation in his head that accompanied that glare, something akin to a smoldering fire or the buzz of an agitated wasp.

" _Go ahead, pal,_ " Anger growled in Riley's head, " _Make my day._ "

"Everything okay?" Cass questioned as she turned to look at Hiro and Riley, quirking an eyebrow at them.

"Yeah, I just need to, uh…." Hiro mumbled as he shifted his eyes between Cass and Riley.

His thoughts were interrupted by a thud from upstairs that drew everyone's eyes upward.

"I've got to go take care of something," Hiro said as he began bounding up the stairs, "I'll be right down!"

Cass watched as Hiro disappeared upstairs before she turned her attention towards Riley, watching as the girl's gaze lingered on the stairs before she sighed and turned away.

" _Yeah, that's right, you'd better run!_ " Anger yelled.

" _Anger come on,_ " Joy complained, " _This is Hiro. We can't keep treating him like this._ "

" _Why not?_ " Disgust countered, " _He's been a huge jerk to us. I'm starting to wonder why I even liked him in the first place._ "

"Okay," Cass spoke up as she took off her apron and set it aside while Riley turned her attention towards the woman, "I know I just asked this, but is everything okay?"

" _Lie,_ " Fear said quickly, " _Lie, lie, lie!_ "

"Um, yeah," Riley replied, looking away from Cass as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Everything….everything is fine."

" _Ugh,_ " Disgust groaned.

"Boy, that was convincing," Cass observed sarcastically before she pulled two chairs away from the table and sat down in one, "Come here. Let's have some girl talk while Hiro deals with….whatever."

Biting her lower lip nervously, Riley hesitated for a moment before nodding and walking over to the table to sit in the offered chair.

"So, as I hope you've noticed, I'm not blind," Cass stated with smirk, earning a chuckle from Riley, "So, I saw that you and Hiro haven't really been the same around one another today."

"Um…." Riley mumbled as she looked away from Cass again and tucked another strand of hair behind her ear.

" _Oh, how do we explain this?_ " Sadness pondered aloud.

"It's alright," Cass stated as she reached out and gently placed a hand on Riley's knee, "I understand."

" _She does?_ " Sadness questioned.

"You do?" Riley echoed her emotion in surprise as she looked back at Cass.

"Well, yeah," Cass replied with a chuckle, "I know you're young and all, but you can't possibly think you're the first person to have guy troubles."

" _Well, I suppose that's true,_ " Joy commented.

"I guess not," Riley replied with a shrug and an embarrassed smile.

"I'm kind of beating around the bush anyway," Cass observed, "I know you're upset with Hiro."

" _Well, you don't need to be psychic to figure that out,_ " Disgust observed.

The smile fell away from Riley's face as she nodded hesitantly.

"You're upset that he wasn't there for you when you needed him," Cass continued.

" _Wow, she's good,_ " Sadness observed.

Riley gave another nod as her gaze fell to her lap.

"Boy, have I been there, sister," Cass stated with a sigh and a chuckle as she leaned back in her chair, "Remind me to tell you some stories about my old boyfriends sometime."

"Hiro's not….uh….not really…." Riley began to say as her face heated up.

"I know he's not really your boyfriend," Cass reassured her, "You guys are a little young for that. But at the same time, I know you like him and I know he likes you. And I know that you've kissed him. Twice."

" _Uh-oh,_ " Fear said.

"O-Only on the cheek," Riley protested as her entire face turned scarlet.

"Relax, Riley, this isn't an interrogation," Cass said with a chuckle, "All I'm saying is that you care about Hiro a lot and that I understand it hurts when someone you care about doesn't seem to care about you."

" _Wait,_ " Sadness gasped, " _She's not saying…._ "

"You….you don't think he cares about me?" Riley questioned, her expression turning to one of heartbreak.

"Oh no, no, no, no," Cass replied quickly, her eyes widening as she realized her mistake while she reached out to take Riley's hands in hers, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant at all. Of course he cares about you."

" _Oh, thank goodness,_ " Joy stated with a sigh of relief.

"Really?" Riley asked as she quickly blinked away some tears.

"Of course, he does," Cass confirmed with a chuckle, "I can see it in the way he looks at you. I should know, he is my so-"

Cass caught herself as Riley sensed some sort of sadness briefly wash over the woman.

"My nephew," Cass corrected, "I know better than anyone how he's feeling."

"I suppose that's true," Riley agreed with a nod of her head and a small smile.

" _Well, not entirely true,_ " Joy commented.

"Don't get me wrong, though," Cass stated, "He may have been hurting, but he was still selfish. He should have been there for you and he wasn't. He's going to have to make up for that. All I'm trying to say is that he's still that same boy who threw you a birthday party."

"I understand," Riley replied with another nod, "Thank you."

"And thank you for not giving up on him," Cass stated while giving Riley's hands a squeeze.

" _Wouldn't dream of it_ ," Joy affirmed.

"Uh, hey, guys," Hiro said as he walked down the stairs, smiling awkwardly at Cass and Riley as he approached them, "I took care of the….thing upstairs."

"Great, then let's eat!" Cass replied as she scootched her chair away from Riley's and began piling the plates on the table high with sauce covered chicken wings. As she did, Hiro walked over and sat down next to Riley. As Riley watched him begin shoveling Cass' cooking into his mouth, a few thoughts began to run through her head. Ones that turned her expression troubled.

 _Later,_

"Man, your aunt wasn't kidding," Riley commented with a chuckle as she wiped at her watering eyes as she followed Hiro down the stairs to the first floor of the building, "Those chicken wings are something else."

"You should be here the next time she makes chili," Hiro replied with a smirk, "That's the stuff of nightmares. Like literal, food-induced nightmares."

" _I think we'd better not,_ " Fear commented.

Riley giggled at the joke as she reached the door leading outside.

"How's Baymax?" Riley questioned as she turned to face Hiro.

"He'd gone into a standby mode by the time I got him upstairs," Hiro answered as he stopped in front of Riley, "I was able to get him propped up in his charging station. He should be fine by tomorrow."

"That's good to hear" Riley stated, "Thanks for walking me to the door."

"No problem, it's just downstairs," Hiro replied as he scratched at the back of his head, "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you back to your house?"

"I'll be fine," Riley answered with a shake of her head.

An awkward pause fell between the two as Hiro continued to scratch the back of his head while Riley tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

" _Alright,_ " Disgust grumbled, " _Somebody has to say something_."

"Hiro…." Riley started to say, only to stop as the boy said her name at the same time, causing them both to pause before chuckling.

"You go first," Riley offered, giving Hiro a small smile.

"Well…." Hiro paused as he mulled over the words he wanted to say, Riley sensing the trepidation he was experiencing, "I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?" Riley questioned, surprised, "Apologize for what?"

"For….you know, how I've been acting since Tadashi's….since the fire," Hiro elaborated, sadness and fear knotting in his chest, "I was selfish. I should have been there for you."

" _Wow, that was…."_ Joy trailed off as she tried to find the right word.

" _Abrupt_?" Disgust provided, " _Suspicious?_ "

" _I was going to say nice,_ " Joy countered drolly.

"Hiro….were you eavesdropping when I was talking with your aunt?" Riley questioned as she narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"...Eavesdropping is such a bad word, isn't it?" Hiro asked with an awkward smile.

Riley's cold stare quickly wiped the smile off of his face.

"Okay, yeah, I was eavesdropping," Hiro admitted as he turned his gaze towards his feet, "I'm sorry for that too but the fact of the matter is that my aunt is right. I….I should have been there for you and I wasn't. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Hiro," Riley said with a shake of her head as she looked away from him.

"What?" Hiro questioned in surprise as his eyes snapped back up towards Riley.

"I mean, I appreciate the apology, I really do," Riley clarified as she crossed her arms protectively over her chest, "But you have nothing to apologize for."

"I don't understand," Hiro said, confusion evident on his face.

" _Sadness,_ " Joy said with a worried tone, " _I'm not sure this is a good idea_."

" _We have to say something, Joy,_ " Sadness countered, " _You know it's true._ "

"My talk with your aunt, it….it got me thinking," Riley explained, taking a calming breath before she continued, "Hiro….you lost your brother. I'm an only child and….this is the part where I tell you that I have no idea what this is like for you. Except that I do. I know exactly how you feel and it….it just makes me feel stupid."

"Riley, you were practically in a coma," Hiro pointed out.

"Only because of my stupid powers!" Riley argued as tears began welling up in her eyes, "If hadn't been so stupid I could have got my damn mental shields up and protected myself, instead I got overwhelmed. I couldn't even get myself out of it without help. Your pain is real, mine is just borrowed."

"Borrowed?" Hiro questioned in confusion, "Tadashi was your friend, wasn't he?"

" _What kind of question is that?_ " Anger asked.

"Of course," Riley replied, clearly confused by the question.

"Then some of that pain was yours, Riley," Hiro argued, "You were hurting, but that didn't stop you from coming to help me."

"Hiro…." Riley started to argue.

"No, seriously," Hiro interrupted, "I get what you're saying. That he was my brother, so my pain is worse than yours. But I care about you too, Riley. I should have been there when you needed me to be. I shouldn't have said those things I did today. Especially if it made you feel so….useless."

Hiro paused, biting his lip and lowering his gaze from Riley as she felt fear and anxiety seep out of him.

"You're anything but useless, Riley." Hiro questioned, still not looking at Riley, "You're one of the most important people I have. Do you think you can forgive me?"

" _Well, geez,_ " Joy said with a mock sigh, " _When you put it that way._ "

In response, Riley dropped her arms to the side before she quickly stepped forward and wrapped them around Hiro, squeezing him as tightly as she could. Hiro was caught off guard for a moment before he returned the hug. The two stayed like that for a few moments, quietly giving each other their support until Riley felt Hiro's anxiety and fear fade away.

" _Alright, fine,_ " Disgust said with a dreamy sigh, " _I guess I like him again._ "

"I guess I can take that as a yes," Hiro commented with an awkward chuckle as he released Riley.

"Duh," Riley confirmed with a giggle as she gave Hiro a playful swat on the arm before her expression turned remorseful, "I'm sorry about the fire, Hiro."

"It's alright," Hiro replied with a shrug and a sigh, "It was an accident…."

Hiro's words trailed off as a pensive look crossed his features before he reached into his pocket and fished out the microbot he still had.

"Hiro?" Riley questioned, her voice laced with concern, "What's wrong?"

"The man in the mask," Hiro said, his brow knitted together in thought, "He stole my microbots."

" _Yeah, we know that already,_ " Anger commented.

"Yeah, that's pretty obvious," Riley confirmed with a nod.

"But he had to have stolen them from the Expo Hall," Hiro explained, "Riley, don't you get it, he set the fire to cover his tracks!"

Riley's eyes widened with understanding as she covered her mouth in shock.

" _Oh no,_ " Sadness whispered in horror.

"He-He's the reason Tadashi is dead!" Hiro snarled, his hands clenching into fists as a burning anger surrounded him, an emotion so intense that Riley had to take a step away from the boy, "He murdered my brother!"

With a heated growl, Hiro slammed his fist against the nearby wall before hissing in pain as the shock of the blow raced up his arm.

"Hiro," Riley said, her tone worried as she took a step towards him.

" _Did he hurt himself?_ " Fear wondered aloud.

"I'm fine," Hiro grunted as he held up a hand to stop her, "Sorry, I just got…."

"Angry," Riley finished for him, a small smile curling her lip, "Trust me, I know."

"Right," Hiro agreed with a chuckle before his expression turned morose, "Riley, we have to do something. We have to catch this guy."

"Catch him?" Riley questioned in confusion, "Hiro, how are we going to catch him? He almost killed us today. This is something the police should be handling."

"The police don't even believe he exists!" Hiro hissed, his anger flaring again, "And even if they did, do you think a couple of guys with guns could stop something like we saw today?"

A chill ran down Riley's spine as she thought of the possibilities and she wrapped her arms around herself again.

" _God,_ " Fear whispered, " _That would be….I can't even imagine_."

"What should we do then?" Riley questioned.

"Like I said, we catch this guy," Hiro explained, "We catch him and expose him to the world. We can use Baymax to help us."

" _How do we stand up to someone like that_?" Disgust demanded.

"I don't know, Hiro," Riley stated uncertainty.

"Riley, you saw his….his lair or whatever," Hiro said as he placed his hands on her shoulders, "He killed my brother and stole my microbots because he wanted them for something. Something big. Who knows how many people he will hurt or kill if we don't stop him?"

Riley squeezed her eyes closed, trying her best to keep the horrible images that flooded through her mind at bay.

" _Fear, that's enough!_ " Joy snapped.

" _But he's right!_ " Fear argued, " _Trust me, this is the last thing I want to do, but if this guy has some sort of doomsday plan, a lot of people could get hurt! Or worse!_ "

" _He could hurt our friends,_ " Sadness agreed, " _He could….he could kill Mom and Dad._ "

" _Screw that!_ " Anger bellowed, " _This guys already done enough damage. I saw we work with Hiro and we take this loser down. Hard._ "

"Okay," Riley relented, "I'll help in whatever way we can."

"Great," Hiro replied with a nod, "We'll have to let Tip know too."

"What about the others?" Riley questioned.

"No," Hiro answered with a firm shake of his head, "The three of us are already involved in this. We don't need to go dragging the others in as well."

" _I'm not sure I agree with this part of the plan,_ " Fear commented.

"Hiro…." Riley began to argue uncertainly.

"No!" Hiro snapped, causing Riley to take half a step back from him as a sudden burst of anger struck her. The anger quickly subsided as Hiro looked at Riley's stunned expression, the emotion quickly replaced by pain and sadness.

" _Easy pal,_ " Anger said cautiously, " _Same team over here._ "

"I'm sorry," Hiro said as he lowered his gaze again, "I just….you were right about us almost getting killed. I know I can't keep you and Tip out of this now, but I can't put the others at risk."

"I don't…." Riley began to say, struggling to keep her words straight as Hiro's worry and anxiety washed over her, "I don't think that's you choice to make."

"Please, Riley," Hiro pleaded, reaching out and taking the girl's hands into his as he looked her in the eyes, "Just keep this between us. That's all I'm asking."

Riley looked up at Hiro's pleading expression for a few, long moments before she sighed in defeat.

" _Aw geez,_ " Joy sighed, " _He's giving us the pouty eyes!_ "

" _Not much we can do against that,_ " Disgust added.

"Alright, Hiro," Riley relented, dipping her head down as she did, "We'll keep this between me, you, Tip and Baymax."

"Well, maybe not just them," Hiro stated uncertainly.

"Who else would we tell?" Riley questioned in confusion.

"You saw how tough that guy was today," Hiro explained, "We're going to need an edge to beat this guy and I know just the person who can give it to us."

A/N: This one turned out to be more of a bridging chapter, but I had fun writing it nonetheless! Hope you guys enjoyed it as well! Feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	20. Hardware Upgrade

**Chapter 20: Hardware Upgrade**

Wasabi hummed a little tune to himself as he stepped out of the door to his apartment, closing it behind him. He inserted his key to lock the door, before he jiggled the lock to ensure that it was indeed sealed. As he did, Wasabi thought he heard a noise, which caused him to stop humming and look down the hall to where it turned a corner, where he saw nothing but a row of doors leading into other apartments. Wasabi looked down the hall for a few quiet moments before shrugging and turning to head in the opposite direction.

As he turned around, Wasabi gave a surprised start as he found a woman standing behind him. She was a short, Hispanic woman near the end of her middle age, her raven black hair threaded with silver. She looks up at Wasabi through a pair of thick spectacles, the corners of her eyes crinkled by crow's feet.

"Mrs. Reyes!" Wasabi said as he placed his hand over his chest and took a few, quick breaths, "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

"I know what you're hiding, Darron," the woman said bluntly, a slight Spanish accent to her words.

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, Mrs. Reyes," Wasabi replied in confusion.

"You've got some sort of animal in that apartment of yours," Mrs. Reyes explained as she pointed at the door to Wasabi's apartment, "You know you're not allowed to have pets in the building."

"I don't have a pet, Mrs. Reyes," Wasabi argued, his smile turning slightly nervous.

"Don't you lie to me, young man," Mrs. Reyes hissed as she pointed her finger towards Wasabi's face, "I hear something moving around in your apartment when you're not home."

"I really have no idea what you're talking about, Mrs. Reyes," Wasabi said as sweat began to form on his brow, "I really don't have a pet in there."

"We'll see what the super has to say about it," Mrs. Reyes replied as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Reyes," Wasabi stated, giving the woman a helpless shrug as he scooted around her and made his way down the hall in the opposite direction he had been looking in earlier.

Mrs. Reyes watched Wasabi leave until the young man turned a corner and disappeared, prompting her to raise her noses and sniff disdainfully before reentering her own apartment. A moment later, Tip, Riley and Hiro stuck their heads out from around the corner they had been hiding behind.

"Okay," Hiro whispered with a nod, "I think the coast is clear."

"I still don't get why we can't tell him," Tip stated quietly as the three of them snuck up to the door leading to Wasabi's apartment.

"Like I told Riley, he's safer this way," Hiro replied as they reached the door.

"Wasabi is a black belt and a grown ass man," Tip argued, "He doesn't need us protecting him."

" _She's got a point,_ " Fear muttered in Riley's head.

"There's not much karate can do against what we saw yesterday," Hiro replied, "Trust me, it's better this way."

Tip gave Hiro a dubious look before turning her attention towards Riley, who gave the girl a helpless shrug as she adjusted her grip on the bundle of clothes she was carrying, prompting the other girl to roll her eyes and sigh.

"Come on, let's do this before someone shows up," Hiro said before he turned to the door and knocked.

"Oh?" Riley called through the door, doing her best to keep her voice down, "Oh, it's us. Open the door."

There was a moment where the three children heard nothing from the other side of the door. Then, something began moving, approaching the door slowly. A moment later, the door opened and Oh peaked his head out.

"Oh, hellos," he greeted in surprise before smiling broadly at the three children, "I was not expectings the company today."

"We're not here to visit, Oh," Hiro explained, "We need your help with something."

"You are needings my help?" Oh parroted in confusion, "With whats?"

"It will be better if you come with us," Hiro replied.

"Comes with yous?" Oh repeated with trepidation, his skin turning yellow as he talked, "I can nots be comings with you. I will be the seens!"

"That's why we brought you these," Riley said as she handed Oh the bundle of clothes she had been carrying. Oh took the clothes into his tentacle-like arms and looked down at them with a confused expression as his skin shifted back to its natural, purple hue.

"Whats dooz I use these for?" Oh questioned as he looked up at Riley.

"You wear them, doofus," Tip explained with a roll of her eyes, "It's a disguise."

"Oh, I sees," Oh replied as he looked over the items in his hand, "This is very cunnings."

Oh took a minute to put the clothes on, which consisted of a large, grey, SFIT sweatshirt, a black ski cap and pair of black sunglasses. The sweatshirt, as it turned out, hung just above the floor on the Boov while the sleeves completely covered Oh's arms and hands. The hat and hood were stretched tight across his large, square head and the sunglasses covered only half his eyes.

"How do I appear?" Oh questioned as he stretched out his arms for the others to see.

" _I mean, he could fool a blind person, I suppose,_ " Disgust sighed.

The three children shared dubious glances before Tip shrugged helplessly.

"Good enough," Hiro answered before he reached out and grabbed Oh's arm before pulling the Boov out of the doorway while Riley reached up and pulled the door to the apartment closed behind him. As the door shut, the one next door opened causing the four of them to freeze in their tracks.

"Who's making all that racket out here?" Mrs. Reyes demanded as she began to step into the hall.

"Oh crap," Hiro whispered as he and Tip stepped in front of Oh, doing their best to conceal the Boov behind them.

" _What do we do!?_ " Fear screamed in Riley's head, " _What do we do!?_ "

"That's it!" Riley whispered to herself before she shut her eyes tight in concentration, focusing all her attention on her sense of fear.

" _Something's happening!_ " Fear suddenly exclaimed, " _What's happening, what's happening, what…!_ "

Fear's cries of panic descended into an almost ear-piercing shriek as Riley felt the electric jolt of energy surge out of her. A second later, Mrs. Reyes froze halfway out of her door before she let out a scream, whirled around and slammed her apartment door behind her. There was a quiet moment as everyone stared at the apartment door. Slowly, Hiro, Tip and Oh pried their gazes from the door and turned them towards Riley who was wiping sweat from her brow.

"Was that you?" Hiro whispered.

"Yeah," Riley admitted with a nod of her head, "Figured I could scare her off with a little fear."

"That was more than a little," Tip observed.

"I'm still getting the hang of this," Riley replied, "I hope I didn't give her a heart attack or something."

" _I don't feel so good,_ " Fear groaned in Riley's head.

" _Yeah, welcome to the party, pal,_ " Anger replied with a snort.

"Come on," Hiro said as he nodded back the way the group had come, "Let's get going before someone else shows up."

The others silently agreed and quickly made their way back down the hall and out of the building.

 _Later,_

"Okay, we're here," Hiro said as he pulled the door to his garage open and ushered everyone inside, "Everyone get inside."

The others quickly stepped under the door allowing Hiro to step into the garage himself and shut the door behind him.

"What were you thinking, wandering into the street like that!?" Tip demanded as she glared down at Oh.

"The man was the standing at the exact centers of the road!" Oh argued, "He could has been struck by one of the combustion powered vehicles!"

" _For crying out loud!_ " Disgust groaned.

"He was a traffic cop, Oh," Riley explained with a sigh, "He was supposed to be standing in the middle of the street."

"Oh," Oh stated with understanding, "My apologies then."

" _Well,_ " Joy sighed, " _At least his heart was in the right place_."

" _Does he have a heart?_ " Fear questioned, " _Like, seriously, does he? Or is he filled with candy on the inside? I'm actually kind of curious._ "

"Okay, you guys hang out here," Hiro said as he made his way towards the door that led into the house, "I'll go get Baymax."

The others nodded in agreement and began to settle down in the garage as Hiro left. Making his way up to his room, Hiro found Baymax where he had left him, standing up in his charger, his head dipped as if he was sleeping. Walking over to him, Hiro kneeled down to get a better look at his charging case.

"Tadashi," Baymax suddenly said, causing Hiro to start in surprise before he stepped away and looked up at the robot, who was looking at something in another part of the room. Following Baymax's gaze, Hiro saw the robot was looking at Tadashi's bed, his brother's hat sitting on the neatly folded sheets.

"Where is Tadashi?" Baymax questioned as he turned his attention towards Hiro.

"He's gone, Baymax," Hiro replied, his expression turning morose.

"When will he return?" Baymax asked, tilting his head to one side as he did.

"No, Baymax he's…." Hiro said, sighing before continuing, "He's dead."

"Tadashi was in excellent health," Baymax stated with what sounded like genuine befuddlement, "With a proper diet and exercise, he should have lived a long life."

"Yeah, he should have," Hiro agreed, his expression grim, "But there was a fire set by…."

Hiro's voice trailed off as he clenched his hand into a fist. Glancing down, Baymax noted the gesture before turning his attention fully towards Hiro again.

"The point is he's gone now," Hiro finished with an angry sigh.

"Tadashi is here," Baymax stated.

"People keep saying that," Hiro said with a shake of his head, "That he's with us as long as we remember him."

Hiro let out a contemptuous snort before he sat down on the edge of his own bed.

"Still hurts all the same," Hiro muttered as he stared down at his feet.

"I detect no evidence of physical injury," Baymax stated.

"It's a different kind of hurt," Hiro explained with another sigh, "One you can't just fix with a bandage and a lollipop."

Baymax seemed to ponder Hiro's words for a moment before taking a step towards the boy.

"You are my patient, Hiro," Baymax stated, "I would like to help."

Before Hiro could reply, he heard an odd mechanical noise accompanied by a series of electronic beeps. Lifting his head, Hiro found Baymax standing next to his desk, the robot's hand resting on top of the monitor to the boy's desktop computer. Images were rapidly flashing across the computer screen, while identical ones were appearing rapid fire on the screen projected onto Baymax's chest.

"Um….what are you doing?" Hiro questioned as he quirked an eyebrow at Baymax.

"I am downloading a database on personal loss," Baymax explained before he lifted his hand from the monitor and the stream of images suddenly stopped, "Database downloaded."

Walking over to Hiro, Baymax bent down and wrapped his arms around the boy, pulling him into a soft, warm embrace.

"What are you doing now?" Hiro questioned uncomfortably.

"Treatments include compassion and physical reassurance," Baymax explained as he rested his cheek against the top of Hiro's head and began patting it with one hand, "You will be alright. There, there."

"Thanks, Baymax," Hiro said, a small smile quickly appearing on his face before it fell away, "There is a way for you to help me though."

"How may I be of assistance?" Baymax questioned.

"Come with me," Hiro replied, gesturing with his head for Baymax to follow before he made his way down the stairs and out of the room, the robot following dutifully behind him. Together they made their way into the garage, where they found Oh, Riley and Tip waiting.

"Greetings," Baymax said, stopping at the door and giving everyone a little wave.

"Hey, Baymax," Riley replied with a grin, "Feeling better today?"

"I am fully recharged," Baymax answered, before his gaze fell on Oh, and lingered for an uncomfortably long time.

"Um, hellos again," Oh greeted with a small wave and an awkwardly large grin.

"You are the anomaly I encountered before," Baymax stated, "I have no information in my databases that match your biometric readings."

"That's because he's an alien," Tip explained drolly.

"Nationality would not factor this heavily into his biometric readings," Baymax replied.

"What?" Riley asked in confusion before she realized what Baymax had meant, "No, Baymax, he's a space alien. A uh….an extraterrestrial."

"An alien species," Baymax said with a tone of understanding, "I will file this data away for future use."

" _He took that pretty well,_ " Joy observed.

" _I mean, he is a robot,_ " Sadness replied, " _This is probably as close to shocked as he gets._ "

"Okay, so how about we cut to the chase," Tip spoke up as she looked at Hiro, "What, exactly, is your plan?"

"We're going to use Baymax to capture the man in the mask and take him to prison for killing my brother and Professor Callaghan," Hiro explained as he crossed his arms over his chest.

There was a quiet moment as Tip arched an eyebrow at Hiro.

" _I get the feeling she's not onboard,_ " Disgust commented.

"That's it?" Tip questioned.

"What's wrong with it?" Hiro asked in return, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Mostly that you're relying on Baymax to capture a dangerous criminal," Tip drolled, motioning towards Baymax as she spoke, "Seeing as he's a fluffy marshmallow who moves at half the speed of smell."

"That's why Oh and I are going to upgrade him," Hiro replied defiantly, "When we're done with him, Baymax will be a better crime fighter than Metro Man himself."

As Hiro spoke, Baymax caught sight of a soccer ball lying on the garage floor nearby. Walking over to it, Baymax attempted to lean down to pick it up, but ended up accidentally kicking it with one of his stubby feet, sending it rolling across the floor. Baymax chased after it, but every time her drew closer, he would kick the ball again, leading him to endlessly follow it across the room as the others watched.

"Forgive me if I don't hold my breath," Tip commented.

"Whatever, you'll see," Hiro said dismissively before turning his attention towards Oh, "What do you say, Oh? You think you can help me out?"

"Of course!" Oh exclaimed before his smile turned slightly nervous, "I means, I hopes so."

"Well then," Hiro said as he cracked his knuckles, "Let's get started then."

Grabbing Baymax, they led him over to one of the garage walls before having him stand up next to one of the walls with his arms held out to his sides. As he did, Hiro walked in front of him with a handheld scanner which he pointed at Baymax, causing lines of green light to wash over the robot for a few seconds.

"Will apprehending the man in the mask improve your emotional state?" Baymax questioned as Hiro lowered the scanner and made his way over to the garage's computer.

" _What was that?_ " Joy questioned.

"Um, yeah, sure," Hiro mumbled as he glanced over at Tip and Riley, watching as the blonde's brow furrowed.

"What's he talking about, Hiro?" Riley questioned.

"Baymax got tired of being my nurse, so now he's taking a crack at being my psychiatrist," Hiro replied flippantly as he sat in the chair in front of the computer.

"Really?" Tip questioned as she looked over at Baymax, "Since when are you qualified for that?"

"Since I downloaded a database on the subject," Baymax answered simply.

" _Well, it's good to know we've got Baymax on our side,_ " Joy commented.

Walking over to the computer, Riley leaned over Hiro's shoulders to see what he was doing.

"What are you working on?" Riley questioned.

"Well, part of what we need to do is teach Baymax some moves," Hiro explained as an image of the robot appeared on screen, "Check this out, I think you'll get a kick out of it."

Riley quirked an eyebrow at the boy but didn't question him as Hiro pulled a video up on screen. The video showcased a relatively poor quality video of a middle aged man dressed in a karate _gi_ fighting a half dozen men dressed in stereotypical ninja outfits.

"You found an old kung fu movie?" Riley questioned, her eyebrow still raised.

"Take a closer look," Hiro replied as he paused the video on a close up shot of the man's face. Her brow furrowing, Riley leaned in closer to get a better look at the man before her eyes widened in shock.

" _No way!_ " Joy said excitedly.

"Is that…." Riley paused midsentance as she leaned closer to the screen in an attempt to get a better look, "Is that Takahito- _sensei_?"

"It sure is," Hiro answered with a chuckle, "Apparently he did a couple of martial arts movies in Hong Kong a few decades back."

"That's crazy," Riley stated with a chuckle, "What does it have to do with upgrading Baymax?"

"Like I said, we have to give Baymax some moves," Hiro explained as he typed a command onto the keyboard, which caused the image of Baymax on the screen to begin mimicking Takahito's movements as the video started to play again, "And I think Takahito would make a great teacher."

As the two watched the video, Baymax wandered up behind them. Grinning, Hiro turned to look back at Baymax.

"Now, let's take care of this," Hiro said as he poked Baymax in his inflated stomach before rolling away. As Hiro left, Baymax looked down at himself and poked his stomach as well, causing Riley to giggle.

For the next few hours, Hiro was a blur of motion, darting between the different work stations he had set up around the garage. Baymax and the girls could only sit back and watch him work while Oh offered advice and even inputted a few commands of his own before Hiro's equipment began machining various metal plates.

"Alright, done," Hiro said as he finished putting the final touches on Baymax and stepped away, turning to the others with a grin plastered across his face, "What do you guys think?"

The girls looked at Baymax with equally dubious expression. The robot was now covered in grey, green and black colored metal armor, with particularly thick plates around his shoulders and lower arms. The most noticeable addition, however, were the black, metal bands around Baymax's midsection which bulged outwards to accommodate his girth.

"I have some concerns," Baymax spoke up with what Riley could have sworn was a hint of uncertainty in his voice, "I believe this armor undermines my non-threatening, huggable design."

"That's kind of the idea, buddy," Hiro replied with a smirk, "You look sick."

"I cannot be sick," Baymax replied, "I am a robot."

"It's just an expression," Hiro replied with a sigh.

"He looks ridiculous," Tip stated, earning a small glare from the boy.

"Please, he looks badass," Hiro argued with a snort before he turned his attention towards Riley, "Come on, Riley, you have to agree with me."

"Um….well…." Riley mumbled as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

" _He looks ridiculous,_ " Disgust parroted in her head.

"Oh, come on!" Hiro groaned as Tip let out a bark of laughter.

"I just prefer him cuddly!" Riley replied, crossing her arms as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Hiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair while his computer let out a soft chime.

"Data download complete," the computer announced.

Grinning, Hiro made his way over to the computer and entered a command, causing a red data chip to jut out of the computer. Grabbing a pen, Hiro pulled the data chip out of the computer and quickly drew a skull and crossbones on it. Smiling at his handiwork, Hiro turned towards Baymax, who had wandered over to him with the others.

"What is that?" Tip questioned.

"It's a data chip containing all of the combat protocols I'm going to install in Baymax," Hiro explained as he tapped the opening he had left in Baymax's armor, granting him access to the robot's hard drive, "With this little baby, he'll really be able to do some damage."

As the hard drive opened, Hiro moved to insert the data chip before he paused as he noted the green data chip still inserted, staring at the cartoon depiction of a doctor drawn on it.

" _It still has Tadashi's name on it_ ," Sadness whispered, " _Oh, are we sure this is the right thing to do_?"

"Are you sure about this, Hiro?" Riley questioned, her expression full of concern as she placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, "Your brother built Baymax to be a healer. Do you think he'd want this? Isn't there another way?"

Riley felt uncertainty sweep through Hiro's thoughts, but it was quickly replaced by a sensation of smoldering rage.

"Someone has to bring Tadashi's killer to justice," Hiro stated resolutely, "Who better than the machine he built?"

With that, Hiro inserted the data chip into one of the empty ports, causing it to retract back into Baymax. As it did, Baymax straightened up and was quiet for a few moments before he turned his attention back to Hiro.

"I fail to see how karate makes me a better healthcare companion," Baymax stated.

"You want to keep me healthy, don't you?" Hiro questioned with a snort of amusement.

Walking to a corner of the garage, Hiro grabbed a wood board that was leaning against the wall. Bringing it back over to the group, Hiro held the board out towards Baymax with both hands.

"Punch this," Hiro commanded, a wicked grin on his face.

"Seriously?" Tip questioned, "Baymax can't punch his way out of a paper-"  
Tip was silenced as Baymax's hand shot through the board, snapping it in two with frightening ease. Tip's eyes were as wide as saucer plates as Hiro examined the two halves of wood before grinning at Tip.

"Okay, now we're going to show off Oh's contribution," Hiro explained as he walked over to another part of the garage and picked up a unopened can of paint.

"What are you going to do with that?" Riley questioned.

"This," Hiro replied before looking at the robot, "Hey, Baymax! Think fast!"

With that, Hiro hurled the paint can at Baymax, causing the girls' eyes to widen in surprise. Baymax watched the paint can approach him impassively, before he raised his left arm up at the last second. As he did, a shiny circle of blue energy expanded from the raised armor on Baymax's forearms. The paint can struck the field of energy in the area near Baymax's face but bounced off the field as if it were solid, the paint can clattering to the floor as ripple ran through the field.

" _Awesome!_ " Joy exclaimed.

"Whoa!" Riley exclaimed as Baymax lowered his arm and the field dissipated, "That was so cool!"

"Was that some kind of force field?" Tip questioned, her eyebrows having migrated to somewhere near her hairline.

"Actually, it was a hard light barrier created with resonant frequency that-" Oh began to explain.

"Yeah, it's a force field," Hiro confirmed with a nod, earning an annoyed glare from Oh.

"I have to say, I'm impressed, guys," Tip admitted with a smirk as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You haven't seen anything yet, Tip," Hiro stated with a cocky grin before he turned his attention towards the robot, "Baymax, how about you show us your moves?"

At Hiro's command, Baymax began running through a series of complex martial arts moves, consisting of spinning kicks and lightning fast punches and chops. As he finished, he turned his attention towards Hiro, who gave him a bow, prompting the robot to do the same in return.

"Awesome!" Hiro exclaimed happily before he held out his fist to Baymax, "Fist bump!"

There was a pause as Baymax looked down at Hiro's fist before turning his attention back to the boy's face.

"Fist bump is not in my fighting database," Baymax informed him.

"It's not a fighting thing, Baymax" Riley spoke with a chuckle and a shake of her head, "It's what people do sometimes when they're excited or pumped up."

"Here, let me show you," Hiro said, bringing the robot's attention back to him.

Grabbing Baymax's arm, Hiro positioned it was held out to the boy, the robot's hand open. Hiro then proceeded to high five the robot, before coming around and tapping the backs of their hands together as well. He then finished by holding his fist out to Baymax again, prompting the robot to make a fist as well and bumped his gently against Hiro's. As soon as their knuckles touched, Hiro pulled his hand towards his head, making an explosion sound while spreading his fingers. Baymax paused for a moment as he took in the gesture before he pulled his hand back towards his head while wiggling his fingers and making a noise that sounded something close to "Ba-la-la-la!"

" _The heck was that?_ " Anger questioned.

" _It was close enough,_ " Joy replied with what Riley guessed was a shrug, " _I guess._ "

"Now you're getting it," Hiro commented with a chuckle.

"I will add fist bump to my care-giving matrix," Baymax stated.

"Sounds good," Hiro stated with a nod before turning his attention towards the others, "Now, how about we go catch a supervillain?"

A/N: Hey guys, hope you liked this one! I had a lot of fun writing it. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	21. Shut Up and Drive

**Chapter 21: Shut Up and Drive**

Night had fallen by the time the five of them emerged from Hiro's garage, the pale orange glow of the streetlights combining with the ambient glow from inside the nearby buildings providing illumination.

"Come on," Hiro said, keeping his voice low as he signaled the others to follow him before he began making his way down the street. Together, the group made their way through the side streets and winding back alleys that led to the abandoned warehouse where they had first encountered the masked man. As they approached the front door, Hiro stepped to the side to allow Baymax to take the lead.

"Alright, Baymax," Hiro said as he nodded towards the door, "Knock it down."

Stepping forward, Baymax squared up against the door before throwing a high kick at it, the wooden door shattering with a large crash, sending debris flying into the darkened warehouse. There was a long, quiet moment as all of them waited for something to happen, but the echo of the door's destruction faded away and silence fell over the area. Looking past Baymax, Hiro couldn't see anything moving in the darkness, nor could he hear the sounds of working machinery like he had before.

" _Well, that's a whole lot of nothing_ ," Disgust commented.

"Come on," Hiro said as he moved to enter the warehouse, "Let's see where this guy is."

"Um," Oh spoke up nervously as his skin began to turn yellow, "Perhaps I shoulds be waiting out here?"

"Yeah," Tip said as she grabbed Oh by one of his arms and began dragging him along with her, "I don't think so."

As the group entered the warehouse, they were all on guard, doing their best to look in every direction at once.

"Riley, do you sense anything?" Hiro questioned with a hushed tone.

" _I don't think I'm picking up anything,_ " Sadness commented, " _You guys_?"

A chorus of no's followed in Riley's head.

"No," Riley answered Hiro with a shake of her head, "Nothing like I felt before."

"I do not see the machinery we observed in this area either," Baymax commented.

"Seems like Mr. Kabuki cleared out of here since we last saw him," Tip observed.

"Damnit," Hiro cursed as he began fishing around in his pockets, "We have to track him down."

As he spoke, Hiro pulled out a petri dish, which contained the lone microbot he still had in his possession.

"I made sure to grab this, just in case we needed to track this guy down again," Hiro stated as he held the petri dish up so he could look at it.

"Your tiny robot is trying to go somewhere," Baymax observed as he walked up next to Hiro and looked down at the petri dish as well.

"This way," Hiro said, signaling for the others to follow him as he made his way back out of the warehouse. As the others trailed behind him, Hiro led the group around the warehouse towards a series of docks along the water. Hiro's eyes were glued to the petri dish as he walked, meaning he wasn't watching where he was going as he approached the edge of the docks.

"Um…." Tip muttered as she glanced over at Riley.

" _We might want to-_ " Joy started to say.

"Hiro!" Riley shouted as she hopped forward and grabbed the back of the boy's sweatshirt just as he was about to walk off the docks. Hiro let out a small sound of alarm as Riley yanked him back.

"Whoa," Hiro said as he regained his footing and looked over at Riley, "Thanks."

"No problem," Riley replied as she caught her breath.

"Try watching where you're going next time," Tip commented with a shake of her head, "You're lucky you didn't wander into traffic or something."

"Sorry, I-" Hiro began to say before the petri dish began to rattle violently in his hands. Before Hiro could get a better grip on it, the microbot managed to squeeze out of the petri dish and hop into the water.

"Damnit!" Hiro cursed as he dropped the petri dish and ran a hand through his hair in frustration, "I-"

Hiro was abruptly silenced as Oh quickly waddled over and slapped his hand over the boy's mouth, the others looking at the alien in shock as he began to turn a bright shade of yellow, his eyes focused on the bay.

"There is being somethings coming," Oh whispered, his eyes wide. Following Oh's gaze, the children stared into the gloom over the bay, squinting their eyes to try and get a better look at what Oh was talking about. Then, all three of them saw it. The shadow of something moving in the darkness.

Something big.

"We has to hides!" Oh whispered quickly before he turned and scuttled away from the dock's edge, the rest of the group following closely behind him. Together, the group ducked behind a nearby stack of shipping crates before huddling near the edge and peeking their heads around, the fear coming off all of them causing Riley to shake before she managed to regain control of herself.

As they watched, the shadow came to shore right where the group had been standing moments before. Now illuminated by the street light that sat nearby, the group could see that the shadow was the masked man riding on a giant mass of microbots, which held him aloft roughly a dozen feet in the air. As the microbots reached the docks, they clambered up onto them, their mass causing the sea water to spew up onto the docks.

As the masked man was carried on to land, he paused and glanced around for a moment before he turned back to the bay. The group watched in amazement as the masked man made a lifting motion with his hands, prompting the microbots to carry what looked like a huge chunk of metal out of the water. As the masked man pulled the chunk of metal up onto the shore, it passed beneath the street light, allowing the group to get a better look at it.

The chunk of metal seemed to have been part of a large machine at some point, as it was made of finely polished steel and had various bits of wiring sticking out of either end. The machinery was curved as well, giving the impression that whatever larger piece of equipment it was part of was circular in shape. As it passed under the light, the group was able to make out a symbol painted on the side of the machinery, a pure white bird drawn on top of a red dot.

" _I don't think I like this plan anymore,_ " Fear whispered through chattering teeth.

"All your heart rates have accelerated," Baymax commented, prompting the three children to spin around and shush him. Quickly looking back around the shipping container, the group saw that the masked man hadn't apparently noticed them, causing them to let out sighs of relief.

"Okay, Baymax," Hiro said as he nodded towards the robot, "Time to put those upgrades to work."

As Hiro spoke, the group was suddenly blinded as a van pulled out from around another shipping and turned towards them, shining its headlights at them.

" _Panic!_ " Fear screamed, " _Panicpanicpanic!_ "

"Ah!" Oh screeched, "They has located me! They has come to do their experiments upon me!"

"Shut up!" Tip hissed as she hit Oh on the side of the head, causing him to yelp and rub his head in pain.

Suddenly, the lights winked out as the van's engine shut off, allowing the group to see Wasabi, Honey, Go Go and Fred sitting inside with confused expressions on their faces. Quickly the four of them opened the doors and piled out of the vehicle.

"Hiro? Riley? Tip?" Honey questioned as she stood up, "What are you all doing here?"

"And why did you bring Oh outside?" Wasabi added as he closed his door behind him.

"And why is Baymax wearing carbon-fiber underpants?" Go Go asked as she pointed at the robot and quirked an eyebrow.

" _Okay, I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing,_ " Joy commented.

"Oh, no," Hiro whispered as another fresh wave of fear washed over him, "No, no, you guys have to leave!"

"Dude, seriously, what are you all doing out here?" Fred questioned.

"Nothing!" Hiro lied as he glanced back and forth between the two groups, "We're just….going for a walk."

Tip let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose at that.

"Seriously, you guys need to go," Hiro asserted, ignoring Tip.

"Don't push us away, Hiro," Honey pleaded, leaning down to rest her hand on the boy's shoulder, "I'm happy to see you out with Tip and Riley, but we're your friends too."

"How'd you guys find us anyway?" Tip questioned.

"Well, I kind of noticed when my alien roommate went missing," Wasabi answered sardonically, "After that, it was pretty easy to narrow down the possible places he could have gone. When we saw you five sneaking out of the cafe, we followed you all here to try and figure out what you all were up to."  
"So, come on, Fargo," Go Go spoke up, focusing her attention on Riley, "Spill the beans. What the hell is going on here?"

"Um…." Riley began to say, but stopped as she felt a sudden wave of anger from behind her, "Oh no."

"What's-" Fred began to say before his head suddenly snapped up to look at something above Riley, "Holy mother of Megazon!"

Following Fred's gaze, the rest of the group looked up to find the masked man looming above them at the top of the stack of shipping crates, using the microbot swarm to lift the topmost crate into the air above his head.

"Um….am I the only one who's seeing this?" Fred questioned as Honey slowly pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the masked man, the feeling of growing fear coming off everyone causing Riley to start shaking. Then, without warning, the masked man hurled the container at the group.

Most of the group scrambled for cover except for Wasabi, who was directly in the container's path, meaning all he could do was curl up into a ball and scream. Before the container could crush him though, Baymax managed to dart in front of Wasabi and catch the container, holding it just a few feet over the young man's head.

There was a pause as everyone looked at the scene in shock, Wasabi slowly opening his eyes and glancing around at the others.

" _Oh my god, why are we all standing here!?_ " Fear screamed.

"Run!" Hiro screamed, which immediately caused everyone else to spring into action, "Go! Get out of here!"

As the others scrambled to their feet and began rushing towards Wasabi's van, Hiro turned his attention back towards Baymax, who was in the process of setting the shipping container on the ground.

" _Are you kidding me!?_ " Disgust exclaimed.

"Hiro!" Riley shouted at the boy as she turned around and found him lagging behind. Hearing Riley's call, Go Go spun back around, her eyes widening when she saw that Hiro and Riley weren't following. Running back, Go Go quickly grabbed both Hiro and Riley by the hand before practically dragging them in the direction of Wasabi's van.

"Wait, no!" Hiro protested, "What are you doing!?"

"I'm saving your life!" Go Go shouted as she shoved Hiro and Riley into the back seat of the van before hopping into the passenger seat while Wasabi started the engine.

"Are you kidding me!?" Hiro replied as he pushed his way up to the front seat, "Baymax can handle this guy!"

A loud bang came from the other side of the shipping crates, catching everyone's attention and allowing them to see Baymax being flung through the air before he landed on top of the van with a crash, his rear punching a hole through the vehicle's roof. The others looked up at Baymax in stunned silence as the robot blinked his eyes clear.

" _That seems bad,_ " Joy commented.

"Oh no," Baymax stated, bringing everyone's attention to where he had flown in from, allowing the group to watch as the masked man, still standing on the mass of microbots, raised his hands up, causing a wave of microbots to form behind him.

"Drive!" Tip shouted, her eyes wide with fear.

"Yep, bye!" Wasabi babbled as he threw the van into reverse and hit the gas pedal, "See you never!"

"Alright, all of you!" Go Go shouted as she spun around in her seat and motioned to Hiro, Riley, Tip and Oh, "Explanation! Now!"

"He stole my microbots!" Hiro quickly answered.

"He's the one who set the fire!" Riley added.

"What!?" Honey exclaimed.

"You're kidding me!" Wasabi added looking shocked.

"We are very much not the kidding!" Oh insisted.

"Who is this bastard?" Go Go snarled.

"We don't know," Tip answered before her eyes went wide and she pointed forward, "But here he comes!"

Looking where Tip indicated, the group collectively panicked as they saw a column of microbots racing towards them, aimed directly at the front windshield.

"Baymax!" Hiro shouted as the others screamed in mortal terror.

"Activating defensive shield," Baymax stated as he held out his arm and the glowing, blue energy field sprung into life in front of him and the windshield. A second later, the microbots slammed into the shield, the force of the impact sending the van spinning the van around, prompting Wasabi to change gears and continue speeding away.

"What the hell was that?" Wasabi questioned, his grip on the steering wheel so tight his knuckles.

"I has helped with the upgrades to your robot," Oh explained.

"You gave Baymax a force field?" Fred inquired with an excited smile, "That's awesome!"

"It is not beings a force field," Oh corrected with an annoyed tone, "It is-"

Oh was cut off as Wasabi took a hard turn, sending the Boov tumbling across the van floor before slamming against one of the windows.

"He's getting closer!" Honey called as she watched the masked man chase after them through the rear window, riding the swarm of microbots like a cresting wave.

"That mask, that black suit," Fred muttered to himself as he looked out the rear window as well before he abruptly broke into a grin, "We're under attack by a supervillain here people! How cool is that!?"

Glancing around, Fred noticed that everyone else was looking at him with baffled expression on their faces.

" _I don't feel like that's the appropriate sentiment at the moment_ ," Sadness said.

"I mean, it's scary, obviously," Fred amended apologetically before grinning again, "But how cool!?"

Wasabi continued glancing back fearfully at their pursuer while also doing his best to keep an eye on the road. As he did, he saw something in front of the van that caused him to slam on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a screeching stop.

Blinking her eyes as she recovered from the sudden jolt, Go Go glanced around at the empty intersection they were stopped at before turning her gaze towards Wasabi.

"Why are we stopped?" Go Go demanded as she internally dreaded the answer.

"Red light," Wasabi answered as he stared at the glowing traffic signal with wide, fearful eyes.

" _What!?_ " Disgust shrieked.

"Are you kidding me, Darron!?" Go Go screamed in frustration, "There are no red lights in a car chase!"

As she spoke, the light turned green and Wasabi pushed the accelerator to the floor, causing the van to take off with a screech of rubber against asphalt.

"Okay, so, explain to me why this guy is trying to kill us!?" Wasabi stammered as he drove, the masked man almost on top of them now.

"It's a classic villain move," Fred explained, "We've seen too much! He has to make sure we can't talk!"

"Uh, let's not jump to conclusions," Honey quickly argued, "We don't really know he's trying to kill us!"

"Um, I think he just chucked a car at us!" Tip declared as she looked out the back window, watching as a sedan tumbled through the air in the direction of the van.

"Holy crap!" Wasabi screamed as he took a sharp turn and narrowly avoided the thrown car, which slammed against the pavement and skidded out of view in a shower of sparks and debris.

"Alright, okay," Honey said, her voice rising several octaves as she fought her growing panic, "Maybe he is trying to kill us!"

" _Gee, you think!?_ " Anger questioned sarcastically.

"He totally just tried to kill us!" Go Go snapped before she whirled on Wasabi, "Darron, if you don't get us out of here, I'm going to-!"

Go Go was interrupted as the van suddenly came to a screeching halt, the stop causing the three children to fall out of their seats and for Oh to tumble all the way to the front of the vehicle, landing at Go Go's feet.

"What's happening!?" Go Go questioned, "Why aren't we moving!?"

"I don't know!" Wasabi replied as he repeatedly jammed on the accelerator, "Something's wrong!"

"He's got the rear axle!" Fred shouted as he looked out the rear window, where a thick strand of microbots had latched onto the back of the van and were lifting it off the ground, the tires spinning in the air uselessly. As the group looked on in horror, the masked man wrapped more microbots around the back of the van before he began lifting it into the air.

The van was lifted with its engine pointed towards the ground, causing gravity to pull the occupants towards the front. Riley let out a scream as she lost her grip on her seat and began falling towards the windshield, but stopped as both Fred and Honey quickly reached out and grabbed her arms, leaving her feet dangling between Wasabi and Go Go.

"Baymax!" Hiro shouted as the van was lifted further into the air, "Do something!"

"Activating defensive-" Baymax began to say as he raised his arm only to be interrupted as the masked man lashed out at him with another strand of microbots, wrapping them around the robot's arm before yanking the gauntlet holding the shield off.

"Defensive shield disabled," Baymax announced as the masked man leveled the van out in front of him, causing Riley to fall to the floor. Hiro's breathing quickened as his met the yellow one of the man's mask, the two holding each other's gaze for a few moments. Then, the masked man reached out with his hands and strands of microbots descended on the van.

Honey screamed as one of the strands punched through the window next to her, while another latched onto the door next to Go Go and ripped it off, the screeching of tearing metal deafening to everyone's ears.

" _We're going to die!_ " Fear screamed, " _WE! ARE! GOING! TO! DIE!_ "

"What do we do!?" Wasabi questioned as panic settled in while his van was violently jostled back and forth, "Oh God, what do we do!?"

It was only then that, over the cacophony of screams and sounds of violence that surrounded him, that Wasabi realized someone was shouting his name. Looking around, Wasabi eventually spotted Oh still lying at Go Go's feet and desperately trying to get his attention.

"Push the button!" Oh screamed, his skin strobing between purple and yellow, "Darron Waylans! You must be pushings the red button!"

"Button!?" Wasabie questioned in confusion as he looked at the van's dashboard, "What-"

The words died in Wasabi's throat as his eyes fell on a single red button directly above the van's radio. A button he did not recognize.

"What is this!?" Wasabi shouted, pointing at the button before turning his attention towards Oh, "What did you do to my van!?"

"Why are you asking questions!?" Go Go screeched as she kicked at a strand of microbots that had invaded the van's interior, "Just push it!"

After sparing a moment to glance between Oh, Go Go and the button, Wasabi reached out and pressed it. Immediately, the van seemed to spring to life as the dashboard lit up with a pale blue light. The steering wheel ripped itself out of Wasabi's hands and receded into the dashboard, replaced a moment later by what looked like a pair of flight sticks attached to a steering column. At the same time, panels began opening in the back of the van, allowing various sized clear tubes to emerge, each containing a viscous liquid that was colored bright neon blues, reds and greens. Outside, the tires rotated to face downwards and their hubcaps opened up, revealing a glowing blue light within. Panels on either side of the van pushed up as well, revealing a pair of futuristic turbines that gave off the same blue glow as the tires.

"Um, um, um," Wasabi muttered, unsure what to do with his hands or even how to process what had just happened.

"Be pushing the pedal of go, please!" Oh screamed as one of the microbot tendrils drew dangerously close to him.

Managing to regain some of his composure, Wasabi gripped both of the flight sticks before slamming his foot on the accelerator. In response, the glow coming from the turbines on the side of the van increased dramatically before van suddenly surged forward. The masked man tilted his head in confusion at the dramatic change in vehicle before he used the microbots to pull him to the side as the van abruptly broke free of his grasp and rocketed forward. Everyone in the van began screaming as the vehicle shot through the air like a bullet from a gun, climbing higher into air as Wasabi reflexively pulled back on the steering column.

"Too high!" Wasabi screeched as he pushed down on the steering column, "Way too high!"

As they shot back down towards the ground, Wasabi did his best to level the van off while taking his foot off the accelerator and applying the break. Nevertheless, by the time the van touched back down on the street, the excess speed sent it skidding across the pavement, sparks flying in its wake before it ground to a halt.

There was a long, quiet moment as the occupants of the van sat in stunned silent, everyone trying their best to process what had just happened.

" _Somebody explain what just happened,_ " Disgust stated.

" _Who cares!?_ " Fear replied, " _We're alive!_ "

"Okay," Wasabi said as he turned towards Oh, "What the hell did you do to my van!?"

"I has made the improvements to it," Oh answered, "It should the hover much better now."

"It didn't hover before!" Wasabi exclaimed.

"Wasabi, I don't think now is a good time to look a gift horse in the mouth," Honey stated.

"Especially because he's coming back!" Fred shouted, prompting the others to look out the rear window, where they saw that the masked man was indeed speeding towards them.

"Do something, Wasabi!" Go Go shouted as she turned back towards him.

His eyes wide with panic, Wasabi turned his attention back to the controls. Gripping the flight sticks tightly, Wasabi tried to move the van forward, but instead, he ended up sending the vehicle spinning down the street at an uncontrollable speed. Everyone in the van shouted in surprise as the van spun, Wasabi finding himself unable to regain control of the vehicle.

" _I take it back!_ " Fear screamed, " _We're going to die!_ "

"Darron!" Go Go shouted as she unbuckled her seatbelt and moved towards the controls, "Give me the-"

As she moved to take the controls from Wasabi, Go Go's foot slipped and she slid out of van through the now gaping hole where the passenger's door used to be. Go Go let out a surprised cry as she fell out of the car, but Baymax managed to reach out and snag Go Go's leg, holding her just above the ground.

"Wasabi!" Honey screamed as the van sped down the street directly towards a building at the end of the road, "Do something!"

"I can't!" Wasabi shouted back, "I don't know how to control this thing!"

As everyone else panicked and held on for dear life, Tip managed to steady herself in a position that allowed her to get a look at the controls. Her eyes narrowing in concentration, she studied the controls before a look of shock crossed her face.

"I can control it," Tip whispered.

"What!?" Wasabi shouted in surprise as they sped towards the end of the road.

"I can control it!" Tip shouted as she scrambled towards the driver seat, "Move! Let me through!"

Wasabi could do nothing more than throw his hands into the as Tip planted herself in his lap, sitting on the edge of his knees. Gripping the controls tightly, Tip's brow knitted together in concentration before she stopped on the foot Wasabi had over the brake and twisted the controls to one side. As she did, the van slowed down and straightened out, drifting backwards towards the building.

"We're not slowing down enough!" Fred reported as the building drew closer in the rear window.

"I've got it," Tip reported as she adjusted the controls, causing the van to drift up the front of the building instead of crashing into it, hanging at a vertical angle, pointed directly at the ground. After a second, Tip released the brake, sending the van drifting back down to the street. As the van settled back into place, Baymax placed Go Go back in the passenger's seat, her hair tousled by the whipping winds.

"Are you okay?" Wasabi questioned, doing his best to catch her breath.

"Yeah," Go Go confirmed with a nod, her heart hammering in her chest as she eyed Tip sitting on Wasabi's lap, "Why is she driving?"

"Because I'm the only one who can," Tip answered, not looking away from the road ahead of her.

"...Why is that?" Go Go inquired, quirking an eyebrow.

"Because that one," Tip said, pointing at Oh as the Boov scrambled upright, "Based the controls off of a videogame he saw me playing."

The others all looked at Oh incredulously, the Boov glancing around at the others with a look of surprise from his position at Go Go's feet.

"Is this not how you are controlling most vehicles on this planet?" Oh questioned, "I was thinkings Darron Waylans was merely using an outdated control system."

"Okay, in the back you go," Go Go said as she picked Oh up and tossed him into the back seats.

"Uh, guys," Wasabi spoke up as he looked out the front window, "I don't think this guy is done with us yet."

Looking out the window, the others saw the masked man rapidly approaching them again, riding a wave of microbots as he had before.

"Alright, if he wants to play, I'm ready to play," Tip stated as she adjusted her grip on the controls, "Everyone buckle up."

"Seatbelts save lives," Baymax concurred as everyone strapped themselves in, "Buckle up, every time."

As the others buckled in, Tip began playing with the radio.

"What are you doing?" Wasabi questioned.

"I need something good for this," Tip replied as she continued playing around with the radio before she stopped on a song, "Yes! This is my jam!"

" _I've been looking for a driver who's qualified,_ " the voice on the radio sang as Tip pushed the controls forward and prompted Wasabi to push down on the accelerator, sending the van speeding towards the masked man.

" _So if you think that you're the one, step into my ride,_ " the song continued as Tip kept her grip on the controls tight and Wasabi's foot pressed against the accelerator, the masked man showing no signs of slowing down either as his microbots spread out to encompass the entire road.

"Tip!" Hiro shouted, his wide eyes focused on the rapidly approaching swarm of microbots.

" _I'm a fine-tuned, supersonic, speed machine,_ " the music blared as the two drew closer, prompting the masked man to thrust his hands forward and send two columns of microbots shooting towards the van.

"Tip!" Riley screamed in a panic.

" _With a sunroof top,_ " the song went on as Tip suddenly veered to the side, dodging the attack while heading directly towards a wall. The others let out screams of fear and surprise as they sped towards the wall, but Tip merely adjusted the controls, causing the van to instead start riding up the wall.

" _And a gangsta lean,_ " the words echoed as Tip drifted up and over the masked man and his microbots, the man following their movement as they went and though Riley couldn't make out his facial features, she could sense his shock.

" _So, if you feel me let me know, know, know_!" the song continued, Tip angled the van back towards the ground, realigning with the street as a grin began spreading across the face.

" _Come on, now, what are you waiting for, for, for_!" the singer called as Tip pushed down on the accelerator, the masked man whirling around to chase them as they sped down the street.

" _My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode_!" the radio shouted as the masked man thrust his arms out, sending a wave of microbots shooting forward, the miniature robots forming a tunnel around the van as they attempted to enclose on it.

" _So start me up and watch me go, go, go!_ " the song called as Tip pushed her foot down hard on the accelerator, causing Wasabi to let out a small squeak of pain as her heel crushed his toes. As the microbots tried to close in on the van, it instead punched through, sending the vehicle flying into the air and out of their grasp.

"What do we do now!?" Honey questioned.

" _Get you where you wanna go if you know what I mean._ "

Glancing around, Tip spotted a set of tracks cutting through an industrial section of the city, a large training carrying shipping containers rumbling down it.

"There!" Tip shouted as she aimed the van towards the tracks.

" _Got a ride that's smoother than a limosine_."

As the van flew down through the air, the masked man lashed out with more strands of microbots, attempting to grab hold of the van, but Tip managed to dodge out of the way of each of them. Returning to ground level, Tip sped along a road that intersected with the train tracks.

" _Can you handle the curves?_ "

"Uh, Tip," Honey said as he spotted the train rapidly approaching, the warning lights at the intersection flashing angrily while the sound of bells filled the air.

" _Can you run all the lights?_ "

As Tip raced towards the train intersection, the masked man appeared behind them, rushing down the street after them.

" _If you can, baby boy, then we can go all night_."

"Tip!" Fred shouted as he looked out the back windows, watching as the masked man readied another attack.

" _Cause it's zero to sixty in three point five_."

As they approached the intersection, the train quickly descended upon it as well, blaring its horn as they showed no sign of stopping.

" _Baby, you've got the keys._ "

"Tip!" Riley screamed as they smashed through the lowering barriers just as the train reached the intersection.

" _Now shut up and drive_."

The masked man paused at the intersection, watching for a moment as the train sped by in front of him. Using the microbots, he pushed himself up to try and get a better look at the other side the intersection, but found that the van had disappeared. The man looked for a few more moments before his gloved hands tightened into fists and he turned away, disappearing into the shadows of the city.

Meanwhile, the van hung from the side of the train, facing the ground as it rapidly sped by before it. For a long moment, everyone was quiet as Tip's foot was pressed hard against the brake and she calmly reached out and turned off the radio.

"I think we lost him," Fred commented.

"Okay," Tip replied with a nod as the train began crossing a bridge, allowing her to release the brake and send the van hovering across the harbor, "I think I've had enough excitement for the night. I'll bring you guys home."

"We can't go home," Hiro replied.

"What?" Riley questioned in confusion, "Why not?"

"Because this guy has already tried to kill us," Hiro answered, "And since he knew where to get my microbots, that means he knows who I am. He probably knows who we all are."

A hush fell over the van as everyone realized the implications of this.

"We need to place to go then," Go Go spoke up, "A place where this guy won't think to look for us."

As they spoke, a knowing smile spread across Fred's face.

"It's cool, guys," Fred spoke up, bringing all their attentions to him, "I know a place."

A/N: Well, this one got away from me a little bit, but I was having so much fun with it I couldn't stop. Hope you guys enjoyed it as well! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	22. Connections

**Chapter 22: Connections**

The engines of the van hummed as it skimmed across the tops of the large houses located in a secluded section of the city. As they went, the houses became larger and grander until they reach a particularly lavish mansion that seemed to take up acres of land right along side the bay.

"Right there!" Fred shouted over the whipping winds coming in through the empty doorframe and broken windows, "Bring it down in the back!"

" _Seriously?_ " Disgust questioned skeptically.

"Here?" Tip questioned, glancing back at Fred from her position in the driver's seat, still seated on Wasabi's lap, "Seriously?"

"Yeah, it's cool," Fred replied, "There's a helipad back there you, so you can land without wrecking the lawn."

"Um, alright," Tip stated with a shrug as she brought the van around to the rear of the mansion.

"Tip, wait," Honey said worriedly, as Tip stopped the van over the helipad, "I'm not sure we should be doing this."

"It's fine, Honey," Fred said as the van began to lower to the ground, "We're all welcome here."

"Listen, nitwit, a masked lunatic just tried to kill us," Go Go snapped, turning to face Fred as the van settled down on the helipad, her voice raising in volume as she went along, "So, I'm not in the mood for any-"

Go Go was cut off as the side door to the van was suddenly pulled open, revealing a middle aged man standing on the other side. He was tall and slim, with a rapidly receding hairline and a small, black mustache. He was dressed in the classic uniform of a butler, with every article of his clothing pressed and immaculately clean. He eyed the occupants of the van with an impassive, unreadable expression before his eyes fell on Fred.

"Welcome home, Master Frederick," the man greeted with a stuffy, British accent.

"Heathcliff, my man!" Fred exclaimed excitedly as he hopped out of the car and landed next to the butler, before turning his attention back to his friends in the van, "Come on in, guys. We'll be safe here."

Turning back to Heathcliff, Fred raised his fist to the butler.

"Gimme some," Fred said, prompting the butler to bump fists with him.

As Fred began making his way towards the house, the others filed out of the van to follow suit. Before Wasabi exited the van, he turned it off, prompting the vehicle to return to its normal appearance. Exiting the van along with the others, Oh paused to look up at Heathcliff, whose only reaction to the alien's appearance was to arch an eyebrow.

Before they got out of the van, Hiro and Riley pushed up against Baymax's backside, eventually managing to dislodge the robot from the whole in the roof and send him tumbling to the ground.

"You okay?" Riley questioned as she and Hiro stepped out of the van.

"I am functioning optimally," Baymax stated as he picked himself up off the ground and looked himself over, "But my armor has sustained significant damage."

"Why don't you take it off?" Hiro suggested, "No sense wearing it now."

Baymax responded by quickly discarding his armor, setting it on the ground in as neat a pile as he could manage. When he was done, Baymax turned away from the pile and faced Heathcliff, who was watching the proceeding with a minimal amount of interest. Looking the man over, Baymax raised his fist towards the butler.

"Fistbump?" Baymax prompted.

Heathcliff responded with another raised eyebrow before raising his fist to Baymax. The robot replied by bumping fists with Heathcliff.

"Ba-la-la-la," Baymax said as he raised his hand towards his head and wiggled his fingers at Heathcliff, before promptly turning away and making his way towards the manor. Heathcliff watched Baymax go before turning to look at Hiro and Riley with a questioning expression.

"He's, uh, he's learning," Riley explained with an amused chuckle before the two of them began making their way towards the house. As they went, Riley couldn't help but notice the troubled emotions she sensed bouncing around in Hiro's head.

"So, that didn't really go as plan, did it?" Riley suggested awkwardly.

"Not at all," Hiro sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, "God, I can't believe how stupid I was to think that we could just take him like that. I know what the microbots are capable of. With the number he had, I should have known that he'd wipe the floor with Baymax."

"You were….distracted," Riley stated, "We all were. We all wanted to get this guy."

"I wanted to stop him from hurting other people," Hiro said as he stopped for a moment as he stared at the ground, prompting Riley to stop as well, "Instead, I got practically everyone I still care about involved and they almost died."

Hiro raised his head and looked at Riley with frightened and sorrowful eyes.

"You almost died," Hiro continued, "I saw you almost fall through the windshield. If Fred and Honey hadn't caught you, you would have….I don't know what I would have…."

Riley interrupted Hiro by stepping forward and pulling him into a hug. Hiro stood stunned for a moment before he returned the embrace.

" _I mean, how could we not?_ " Joy questioned rhetorically in Riley's head.

"I didn't die, Hiro," Riley stated as she pulled away from Hiro, "None of us did. We're still here and we're not going anywhere."

A small smile spread across Hiro's features at her words, though Riley noticed that his emotional state did not change as much as she had hoped it would.

"Come on," Riley said as she nodded her head in the direction of the house, "Let's go see what's up with Fred's big, fancy house."

The inside of the mansion was just as grandiose at the outside had been, with walls covered in wallpaper decorated with elegant patterns and sporting masterfully painted works of art held in gilded frames. Together, the group made their way into a large entrance hall where a split staircase covered in red carpet led to the second floor, a crystal chandelier hanging above it.

"So, uh, Fred," Honey spoke up awkwardly as she and the others looked around in wonder, "This is….your house?"

"Well, it's not my house, exactly," Fred explained with a chuckle as he stopped in front of a painting depicting three people. One was clearly a younger version of Fred dressed in fancier clothes than any of them had ever seen him in. Along with him was a proper looking woman with curly red hair and an older looking man, grey streaks running through his black hair wearing a pair of yellow tinted aviator sunglasses that were otherwise at odds with his posh attire.

" _Why do I recognize that guy?_ " Anger questioned in what Riley assumed was reference to Fred's father.

" _He probably just has one of those faces_ ," Fear replied.

"Technically, this place belongs to my parents," Fred continued as he gestured towards the painting before leading the group away, "They're on vacay right now on the family island."

" _Wait what?_ " Disgust said in surprise.

"You….your family owns an island?" Riley whispered in awe.

"Yeah, it's this sweet little piece down in the South Pacific," Fred confirmed nonchalantly before an idea seemed to strike him, "You know, we should totally go sometime. Frolic and stuff."

"Man, this whole time, I was pretty convinced you lived under a bridge," Tip commented.

"I mean, if I had to choose, there is this righteous little overpass downtown," Fred mused as the group approached a set of double doors at the end of the hall, "Total weather coverage and it's right next to my third favorite Chinese restaurant."

" _...I'm not sure I understand what's happening right now,_ " Sadness commented.

" _Welcome to the club_ ," Anger replied.

As the group approached the doors at the, they suddenly pulled open automatically with a hiss of air, revealing a spacious bedroom beyond. While some of the room was taken up by the king sized bed and the large sectional couch that was directed towards the plasma TV hanging from one of the walls, the rest occupied by an assortment of items that could only be described as nerdy. A few seven foot tall replicas of kaiju monsters and fighting robots took up the floor space while large models of various science fiction vehicles hung suspended from the ceiling. One side of the room was occupied by a miniature library with half a dozen floor to ceiling bookshelves that held nothing other than hundreds upon hundreds of comic books. Another wall was dominated by shelves that acted as displays for dozens of mint condition action figures.

Together the group stood in silence for a long moment, their brains struggling to digest everything that lay before them.

"You have got to be kidding me," Go Go whispered to herself, less venom and more awe in her voice then she had intended.

Taking a few steps away from the door, Honey examined one of the statues, quirking an eyebrow at a sign hung around its neck that seemed to have been written by Fred, informing himself that he should not be touching it.

"You know, if I hadn't just been attacked by a guy in a kabuki mask, this would be the weirdest thing I've seen all day," Wasabi commented as he looked over a painting hanging from the wall, which seemed to depict a musclebound Fred as a classic barbarian stereotype in a fantasy setting.

"Just today?" Go Go questioned as she stepped up beside Wasabi and looked at the painting as well.

"I'm never going to be able to forget this, you know," Wasabi muttered, "My brain literally hates my eyes for seeing this."

Walking past Wasabi and Go Go, Tip paused as she looked at something hanging above Fred's bed. It appeared to be a cork board with a number of photographs and news clippings attached to it and connected to one another by red pieces of string. Most prominent was the picture of a man caught in silhouette which displayed his pointed nose and hunched posture.

"Who is Gru?" Tip read one of the news clippings beneath the picture before turning to Fred, "What the heck is all this?"

"Oh, this is a project I've been working on," Fred explained as he hurried over to Tip's side, "You see, this guy Gru is apparently a master class criminal. He's been in action for decades, tussled with superheros back in the day and even is supposed to have made off with the Crown Jewels once, but he's never been caught and he's almost impossible to track down."

Leaning down, Fred wrapped his arm around Tip's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"I even have it on good authority that he tried to steal the moon last year," Fred stage whispered, his eyes darting back and forth in a paranoid fashion.

"Nobody tried to steal the moon, Fred," Wasabi sighed from across the room.

"I have facts, Wasabi!" Fred shouted as he whirled around and pointed an accusatory finger at his friends, "Facts!"

Tip could only chuckle as she shook her head at Fred's antics.

"The truth is out there, Gratuity Tucci," Fred whispered before walking away.

"I'm sure it is," Tip replied with a snort.

Looking at the things hanging from the walls as she wandered around the room, Riley paused as something caught her attention.

"Oh, you like that one, Fargo?" Fred questioned as he walked up behind her, indicating towards a newspaper clip that hung in a frame on the wall, "The first interview Metro Man ever gave. Roxanne Ritchi won a Pulitzer for it. I was so stoked when she autographed it that I didn't mind when she told me that she would get a restraining order against me if she ever saw me again."

"Wow, that's….that's pretty cool, Fred," Riley answered with a chuckle as she shook her head before pointing at something, "But I wasn't looking at that. I was looking at that."

Quirking an eyebrow as he looked where Riley was pointing, a look of surprised amusement crossed Fred's face before he stepped around Riley and pulled what she was looking at off the wall so that the two of them could get a better look at it.

As Fred held it in his hand, Riley could see that it was a mask of some kind, one specifically shaped like the face of a fox. The most notable thing about the mask was the fact that it colored differently than the natural colors of a fox. It's was mostly a creamy white, with red stripes on its cheeks and black tips on its ears.

"Why do you have a fox mask?" Riley questioned as she looked up at Fred.

"This one is uh…." Fred paused as a warm smile spread across his face, "This is more of a keepsake than anything else."

"A keepsake for what?" Riley asked.

"I first started really getting into superheroes when I was a kid," Fred explained wistfully, "All superheroes, even the old, fictional ones. Did you know that zorro means fox in Spanish?"

"Like those old movies about the Spanish swashbuckler?" Riley questioned with smirk.

"The very same," Fred confirmed with a nod, "Anyway, when I did, my dad went out and bought me this. Said it could be my disguise when I went out to fight crime."

"You could be the Fox," Riley suggested.

"Well, according to my dad, it's not a fox," Fred explained with a shake of his head, "It's something from Japanese folklore called a-"

"A kitsune," Riley finished for him, causing Fred to quirk an eyebrow at her, "Go Go has one tattooed on her shoulder. I thought it was pretty cool, so I did some reading about them afterwards."

"Right," Fred replied as he nodded in understanding, "I forgot about that."

"It's nice that your dad would get something like that for you," Riley commented as Fred hung the mask back up on the wall.

"Yeah, my dad taught me a lot of things," Fred agreed, "Most importantly that if you have the power to help people, you have the responsibility to use it."

As Riley digested Fred's words, a thought came to her.

" _Do you think we should ask_?" Sadness questioned.

" _I don't think we're going to get a better chance than this,_ " Joy replied.

"Fred," Riley spoke up, bringing Fred's attention towards her, though she did not look at him as she spoke, "When I was….recovering from the fire, my mom took me to see a counselor. After the first session, I overheard the counselor say that the session had already been paid for."

Riley paused as she looked up at Fred.

"Was that you?" Riley questioned quietly.

A smile slowly spread across Fred's features.

"What's the point of having money if you don't use it, Fargo?" Fred questioned with a shrug. Riley smiled and pulled him into a quick hug.

Walking up to one of the bookshelves, Hiro pulled one of the comic books out so that he could get a better look at it. The comic was held in a plastic sleeve, clearly meant to protect it from damage. On the cover was a powerfully built, blonde man who was dressed in a blue and black spandex suit with a lowercase I on the chest. The man was striking a heroic pose and looking off into the distance while bold type above his head declared him to be Mr. Incredible.

"Hey, Hiro, be careful with that!" Fred called from across the room as he approached the boy, "That's a mint condition, first issue."

"Sorry, man," Hiro replied with a chuckle as he placed the comic book back on the shelf. As he did, Hiro glanced over at one of the cases set into the wall and his eyes widened in surprise as he got a look at it what it contained, a seemingly innocuous piece of metal with an inscription written beneath it..

"Wait, is this…." Hiro began to say before stopping himself and shaking his head, "No way, it can't be."

"It totally is," Fred confirmed with a nod as he walked over to Hiro's side, "That is a one hundred percent authentic piece of Gallaxhar's probe robot. I even got a shot from the news footage of the exact moment that Ginormica knocked it off. My dream is to get it autographed."

"But I thought Krei Tech and the government locked all this stuff down after the Battle of the Bay?" Hiro questioned in confusion.

"Stuff like this always slips through the cracks," Fred explained with a shrug, "I know some guys who are selling pieces from Gallaxhar's ship after they blew it up."

"Excusing me?" Oh spoke up from a different part of the room, "What was that you were sayings?"

"What, about Gallaxhar's ship blowing up?" Fred questioned.

"Yes, that is the thing you had been saying," Oh confirmed as he walked over to them.

"Yeah, this big, mean alien dude named Gallaxhar came down to-" Fred started to say.

"I am knowings who Gallaxhar is," Oh interrupted, his attitude uneasy and subdued.

"Guess the guy had a bit of a reputation," Hiro commented.

"In a manners of speakings," Oh replied, his expression turning uncertain, "You said he cames here?"

"Yeah, he came down looking for some meteorite or something," Hiro explained, "He got his ship blown up instead."

"And thats is being its?" Oh questioned, "He has beens bloweded up?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Fred replied with a shrug before he and Hiro shared a glance, "Why?"

"No reasons you must be worried abouts," Oh replied with a shake of his head before he wandered off to a different part of the room.

"Is that something we should be worried about?" Fred questioned as he quirked an eyebrow at Hiro.

"I doubt it," Hiro replied with a shake of his head before he walked over to a table that sat by the couch, grabbing a stray piece of paper and a pencil as he went, "Besides, we have our own problems to worry about."

Sitting at the table, Hiro quickly sketched the symbol he had seen on the piece of machinery the masked man had recover.

"Does this symbol mean anything to you guys?" Hiro questioned as he held the paper up for the others to see, prompting them to gather around him.

"Yes!" Fred exclaimed excitedly, "It's a bird."

"No, that's not what he means," Tip explained with a sigh, "The guy in the mask was carrying something that had this symbol on it."

"Okay, so hold up," Go Go said, "Explain to use what the hell was going on tonight. You mentioned that this guy….he started the fire?"

"Yeah," Hiro confirmed quietly with a nod, "He-He must have wanted my microbots."

"That means…." Wasabi whispered, his eyes widening in realization.

"He killed Tadashi," Honey finished for him and Riley sensed an intense wave of sadness and anger rush out of the young woman as she stared at the floor while wrapping her arms tightly around herself.

" _Whoa,_ " Anger commented, " _That was something alright_."

"And now he's tried to kill us," Fred added, his expression pensive before he wandered over to his bookshelves.

"This still doesn't explain what you five were doing down at the docks tonight," Go Go pointed out.

"That's….that's my fault," Hiro admitted as he stood up from his seat and faced the others, "We went to the police when we first found out about this guy but they didn't believe us. So, I figured if I gave Baymax some upgrades, we could take him down ourselves."

"Take him down?" Wasabi questioned as he quirked an eyebrow at Hiro.

"Apprehending the man in the mask will improve Hiro's emotional state," Baymax stated.

"Apprehend him?" Go Go parroted in surprise, "The guy swatted us around like we were nothing. You think you can still bring him down after that?"

"To say nothing about the fact you're missing a few crucial bits of information," Wasabi added, "Like who this guy is."

"I have a theory!" Fred declared as he approached the group holding a stack of comics that he quickly handed out to the others.

"Dr. Slaughter, MD?" Wasabi questioned as he looked down at the comic Fred handed him.

"Actually millionaire weapons designer Malcolm Chazzletick," Fred explained.

"The Annihilator?" Tip spoke up as she glanced between Fred and the comic.

"Behind the mask, he's industrialist Reid Axworthy," Fred elaborated.

"Okay, seriously, what the hell is the point of this, Fred?" Go Go questioned hotly as she tossed the comic he had handed her aside.

"Don't you guys get it?" Fred questioned with a shrug of his shoulders as he approached his television, picking up the remote control as he went, "The man in the mask who attacked us is none other than-"

As Fred spoke, he used the remote to turn on the television, which began projecting the image of a newscast focusing on Alistair Krei.

"Alistair Krei!" Fred exclaimed.

"What?" Wasabi asked in confusion.

"Think about it," Fred implored, "Krei wanted Hiro's microbots but Hiro said no, but rules don't apply to a man like Krei. I mean, we already know that KreiTech were running some shady alien experiments on Oh."

"But if he just wanted to steal Hiro's microbots, what was he doing at the docks tonight?" Riley questioned, "What was that machine we saw him pulling out of the bay?"

"More alien tech?" Tip suggested.

"No, it was definitely something built on this planet," Hiro argued with a shake of his head, "And Krei is way too high profile to have pulled something like this."

"I think there's another problem with this idea," Honey stated, bringing everyone's attention to her as she pointed at the television, "Look."

Following her gaze, the others watched as the newscast continued with a banner reading "Millionaire business owner missing."

"Turn it up," Go Go said to Fred, prompting the young man to use the remote to raise the television's volume.

"If you're just joining us, our top story tonight is the apparent kidnapping of tech mogul, Alistair Krei," the newscaster stated, "Police were called to the site of Krei's multi-million dollar home on the outskirts of San Fransokyo earlier this evening and have discovered evidence of a struggle and no sign of the business man. We will keep you up to date as more information becomes available."

"Well, so much for that idea," Tip commented.

"If Krei isn't the man in the mask, then who is?" Honey questioned.

"I don't know," Hiro admitted with a sigh of defeat, "We don't know anything about this guy."

"His blood type is AB negative," Baymax suddenly spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention as he did, "Cholesterol levels are-"

"Baymax, you scanned him?" Hiro interrupted in astonishment as he walked over to the robot.

"I am programed to assess everyone's healthcare needs," Baymax explained as he displayed an image of the masked man on his chest, biometric data appearing next to the image.

"Yes!" Hiro exclaimed excitedly as he grabbed Baymax by the belly and shook him a little.

"I don't get it," Tip spoke up, "Why is it a big deal that Baymax knows this guy needs to lay off the red meat?"

"I can use the data from his scan to find him," Hiro elaborated.

"But for that to work, wouldn't you have to scan everyone in San Fransokyo?" Riley questioned.

"Because that would only take, I don't know, forever," Go Go added sarcastically.

"Ugh, I know," Hiro groaned as he began wandering around the room, wracking his brain for an answer, "I just...just have to look at this from another angle."

"If only there was a way to scan everyone at the same time," Riley mused with a sigh.

"That's it!" Hiro exclaimed excitedly as he spun around and pointed at Riley, "I can scan everyone in the city. I just need to upgrade Baymax's scanner."

"The muse strikes again," Fred commented with a chuckle.

Looking back at his friends, Hiro couldn't help but smile as he looked at them all gathered by the couch. As he continued to look at them though, a thought occurred to him.

"Actually, if we're going to take this guy down, I'm going to have to upgrade all of you," Hiro announced.

"Upgrade who, now?" Wasabi questioned in confusion as he raised an eyebrow at Hiro, mimicking the surprised looks everyone else was giving the boy as well.

"Those who suffer a loss require support from friends and loved ones," Baymax stated.

"Oh man," Fred said bouncing on his toes like a giddy child, "I like where this is going."

" _I don't_ ," Fear mumbled.

"We can't go against this guy, Hiro," Wasabi argued, "We're nerds."

"Speak for yourself," Tip commented with a smirk.

"Hiro, how can we help?" Riley questioned as she looked around at the others, worry clear on her features, "We're just us."

"Just us?" Fred questioned as he turned towards the others, an incredulous look on his face, "Seriously? Way to sell yourselves short, guys."

"What do you mean?" Honey asked in confusion.

"Look at this team we've got here!" Fred exclaimed as he waved his hands around at the others, "Hiro is a boy genius inventor! Wasabi is a theoretical physicist with a black belt in karate! Go Go is a brilliant engineer and as badass as they come! Honey is the greatest chemist of her generation, if not others! Fargo has literal superpowers! Tip just piloted a hover car like she's been doing it her whole life! Baymax is a state-of-the-art android and Oh is a freaking alien!"

"What about you, Fred?" Go Go questioned with an amused smirk, "What do you bring to the table?"

"Well, as you may have guessed, I'm not a fan of flaunting my family's wealth," Fred answered as he rubbed the tips of his thumb, fore and middle finger together, "But somebody has to fund this operation."

"If we work together, we can be way more then even all of that," Hiro added.

"Where is all of this coming from?" Riley questioned with an amused smile.

"I tried doing this alone and it didn't work, something you warned me about," Hiro explained, "Ever since the fire, you guys have been trying to be there for me and now, I think it's about time I let you. Besides, even though Fred is the supers expert here, I've watched a news reel or two in my day and I know if there's a threat that one hero can't handle on their own, they put a team together."

A look of uncertainty clung to the group's expression and Riley could feel their apprehension and fear. At the same time, she could feel their determination and desire to help hiding underneath, something that caused her to steel her own resolve.

"Tadashi was our friend," Riley spoke up, pausing as she glanced at Honey and Hiro, "To some of us he was more than that. Either way, we owe it to him to bring the guy to justice. In fact, we owe it to more than him. This guy is up to something and if we don't stop him, people are going to get hurt. A lot of people. Maybe people we care about."

As Riley spoke, Hiro's expression changed to one of concern as he looked at her before he glanced away with a pensive expression.

"Alright, Fargo, looks like you two have sold me," Go Go stated with a smirk as she placed her hands on her hips, "I'm in."

"We're all in," Wasabi amended as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"For Tadashi, and for everyone else," Honey confirmed as she clasped her hands together over her chest.

Riley smiled at them before turning towards Tip and giving her friend a questioning look.

"You think, after everything I've seen, I'm going to back out now?" Tip questioned as she quirked an eyebrow at Riley, "You must be out of your mind."

"Oh, this is so awesome, guys!" Fred exclaimed giddily, "Can you feel it!? Out origin story begins!"

A/N: Another fun chapter to write, mostly because I got to confirm a lot of what you guys had been guessing at for awhile now. Hope you guys enjoyed it as well! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	23. Lock and Load

**Chapter 23: Lock and Load**

Bill and Jill Andersen sat in their kitchen, pleasantly chatting with one another over a cooling box of pizza.

"Geez, it's getting kind of late isn't it?" Jill questioned as she glanced at her watch, "I wonder where Riley is?"

"I'm sure she'll be in any second," Bill replied.

As Bill spoke, the doorbell suddenly rang, causing the two of them to look at the door in surprise before glancing at one another in confusion.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Jill questioned in confusion.

"I guess we'll find out," Bill answered as he stood up and made his way towards the door, Jill following behind.

Opening the door, Bill and Jill were surprised to find Heathcliff standing on the other side, his posture rigid and his expression unreadable.

"Um…." Bill began, his expression bewildered as he looked at the stranger, "Can we help you?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Andersen?" Heathcliff questioned in return.

"Yes?" Jill answered, her voice uncertain as she shared a weary glance with her husband.

"Ah, good," Heathcliff replied before holding up his wrist so that he could check his watch, "In that case, you should be receiving a phone call right about….now."

As Heathcliff finished talking, Jill's cellphone suddenly began buzzing in her pocket. Glancing down at her pocket in bewilderment, Jill slowly turned her gaze towards her husband, who could only offer her a helpless shrug in reply. Reaching into her pocket, Jill fished out her phone, paused as she saw it displaying a call from a number that she did not recognize before answering it and holding it up to her ear.

"Hello?" Jill said uncertainly.

"Hey, Mrs. A, it's Fred," the voice on the other end of the line said in the young man's usual jovial tone.

"Fred?" Jill questioned in shock, earning a quirked eyebrow from her husband.

"Yep, sorry, my phone ran out of batteries, so I had to use the house one," Fred explained, "I take it my man Heathcliff is there?"

"Um," Jill mumbled in reply as she glanced at the butler standing before her, "Yes?"

"Awesome, he's just there to pick up a few things for Riley," Fred explained, "She's spending the night at my house with the rest of us. If that's okay, at least."

"Oh, yes, that should be fine," Jill said, still sounding somewhat bewildered.

As Jill spoke, Heathcliff moved to enter the house, Jill signaling to Bill to let the butler pass.

"Sorry to call so late," Fred apologized as Heathcliff made his way up the stairs with a confidence that was at odds with the fact he had never been in the house before, "But these plans just kind of came up unexpectedly."

"It's alright, Fred," Jill said, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw that Heathcliff was already descending from the upper floor, Riley's backpack in one hand, "These things happen."

"Thanks for understanding," Fred said with a chuckle, "We'll make sure Riley gets back home safe and sound."

"Well, thank you, Fred," Jill replied with a smile, "This is all very thoughtful of you."

"Don't mention it," Fred stated as Heathcliff stepped back out of the door and turned to face Bill and Jill, "Anyway, I'm guessing Heathcliff is done by now, so you two have a good night."

"Yes, you too, Fred," Jill replied, "Thank you for the call."

With that, Jill hung up the phone before she and her husband turned their attentions fully towards Heathcliff.

"Sir, Madam," Heathcliff said as he gave them each a nod in turn, "Good evening."

With that, Heathcliff turned on his heel and began making his way down the front steps of the Andersen household.

"Well, that was…." Bill started to say before pausing as he searched his brain for the right word to say, "Different. What was that all about anyway?"

"Riley is spending the night at Fred's house with her friends," Jill explained as she watched Heathcliff reach the bottom of the stairs, "Fred apparently sent him over to get a few of Riley's things."

"That guy works for Fred!?" Bill questioned in a shocked whisper.

"It seems so," Jill answered, before watching as Heathcliff made his way across the street, "Oh, it looks like he's going over to Lucy's place now."

"Well, at least we know Tip is with them too," Bill said as he turned to reenter the house, "Come on. Let's go finish our dinner before Fred sends over his personal dessert chef."

Jill could only chuckle and shake her head in bemusement as she shut the door and followed her husband inside.

 _Meanwhile,_

"Okay, so where do we start?" Riley questioned as she stifled a yawn.

It was early the next morning and the group had moved out of Fred's room and into the massive garage that sat adjacent to the mansion. Normally built to hold dozens of cars, Fred had had them moved out onto the property's spacious driveway. The vehicles had been replaced with equipment taken from Hiro's house along with items that Fred had somehow managed to sneak out of the SFIT laboratories. The only vehicle that remained in the room was Wasabi's battered van sitting off to the side. Currently, the group was gathered at the center of the garage, either standing or sitting in chairs they procured.

"Well, we're going to have to equip you guys with upgrades that mesh well with your skills and work with our game plan," Hiro explained.

"And what's our game plan?" Wasabi inquired.

"The only way the guy in the…." Hiro paused and shook his head, "Okay, we've got to figure out a name for this guy. Just calling him 'the guy in the mask' is kind of a mouthful.

"I kind of liked Mr. Kabuki," Tip stated.

" _Ugh_ ," Disgust groaned in distaste.

"It's funny," Honey admitted, "But we need something more than funny. This guy did try to kill us, after all."

"I've got it!" Fred exclaimed, "We'll call him, Microbotto, the Masked Menace!"

There was a long pause as everyone stared at Fred and digested his response.

"No," Go Go finally stated in a tone the brokered no argument.

" _Oooo!_ " Joy said excitedly, " _I've got an idea!_ "

"How about…." Riley mused thoughtfully, "Yokai?"

There was another pause, this one of surprise.

"That's actually pretty good," Tip stated, "What does it mean?"

"It's basically the Japanese word for spirits," Riley explained with a shrug, "I found it when I was looking up some other stuff. It seems like that's what he is going for with the mask and the black outfit."

"I like it," Hiro stated with a nod before he began addressing the group again, pulling up an image of Yokai's mask on one of the nearby computer screens, "So, the way my microbots work is with a neural transmitter to control them. My best guess is that Yokai's built his into his mask. If we can get that off of him, it will be game over."

"Sounds like we have a game plan then," Go Go observed, "Guess we'd better get started with the upgrades."

"Yeah, I'll have to work with you guys individually," Hiro replied, "Together, I think we can whip up some kickass equipment."

"What can we do to help?" Riley questioned.

"Um," Hiro mumbled hesitantly as he glanced at Riley, "Not much, right now."

" _That was a strange look_ ," Sadness commented, earning a mental shrug from the other emotions.

"We'll figure something out," Tip assured Riley.

"Alright then," Wasabi said as he rubbed his hands together, "Let's get started."

As the others broke off and headed towards different lab equipment, Tip made her way over to Wasabi's van and hopped inside. After fishing around for the keys that had been left on the dashboard, Tip inserted them into the ignition and started the van up.

"Tip?" Wasabi called from across the room as he looked over at the girl in confusion, "What are you doing?"

"Relax, Wasabi," Tip replied with a grin as she began playing around with the van's radio, "I'm not jacking your ride or anything. I'm just looking for some tunes."

As she spoke, she stopped on the station that began playing a loud, electronic tune.

"Here we go," Tip stated with a smile as the song picked up pace.

 _They say 'we are what we are', but we don't have to be._

Hiro examined Go Go's experimental bike from where she had it hanging above the ground. As Hiro watched, Go Go walked up and pulled one of the wheels out of its magnetic alignment before she tossed it at him. Hiro let out a grunt of pain as he caught the wheel against his chest and stumbled back a step before he smiled as an idea came to him.

 _I'm bad behavior, but I do it in the best way._

Pulling up a model of Go Go's bike on the interactive projection screen of his computer, Hiro separated one of the wheels from the rest of the model and enlarged it before removing the rest of the model from the screen.

 _I'll be the watcher,_

Later that day, Go Go was sitting on a set of stairs in Fred's lavish backyard. She was now dressed in sleek yellow armor that covered her arms, lowers legs and chest over a black body suit with red lines running along it. Her head was covered by a yellow helmet that resembled those worn by professional cyclists, though hers covered her entire head and had a semi-translucent visor in front of her face. The most noticeable pieces though were the four yellow, metal disks that were held in magnetic suspension by her wrists and ankles.

 _Of the eternal flame_

Walking over to Go Go, Hiro offered her his hand to help her up. After removing the disks from her wrists and setting them aside, Go Go took Hiro's hand and allowed the boy to pull her up. Immediately, Go Go struggled to find her balance as the disks near her ankles held her up like a pair of roller skates. Go Go's arms flailed about in a pinwheel motion as she tried to keep her balance but ended up falling hard onto her rear end.

 _I'll be the guard dog,_

Hiro reached down to help Go Go to her feet again, but she held up a hand to stop him. Quickly stepping out of her way, Hiro watched as Go Go pushed herself back into a standing position and, after a moment's struggle, gain her balance. With a look of concentration on her face, Go Go turned her attention towards Heathcliff, who was standing a short distance away with a kabuki mask on his face.

 _Of all your fever dreams!_

Leaning forward, Go Go began skating towards Heathcliff, becoming more comfortable on the metal wheels as she went. Reaching Heathcliff, Go Go began to circle the butler, switching between skating forwards and backwards with fluid ease. As she circled him, Go Go noticed a coiled up hose sitting on the ground nearby. Snagging the end as she passed it, Go Go dragged the hose over to Heathcliff before she began winding it around his legs, taking care not to trip herself up. Soon enough, Heathcliff was completely entangled by the hose, allowing Go Go to skate up to him and remove the mask with a smirk.

 _I am the sand in the bottom half of the hourglass._

In the garage, Hiro watches with fascination as Wasabi demonstrates the cutting power of the his laser.

 _I'll try to picture me without you but I can't!_

Back at his computer, Hiro was intensely studying the schematics of Wasabi's laser emitter. Reaching out, he used the interactive display to rearrange the various components. Once he discovered an arrangement he liked, Hiro pulled up the schematics for an armored glove and fitted the two pieces of equipment together.

 _'Cause we could be immortals!_

Standing out in the garden, Wasabi was now dressed in a black bodysuit similar to the one Go Go had been wearing. Over this he wore a green breastplate with a matching pair of bracers. Along with this, he wore a pair of baggy blue pants held up by a red sash, black boots and a green visor that covered his eyes with semi-opaque plastic. Looking at one of the bracers on his wrists in confusion, Wasabi pushed a button that had been built into the gloves, causing the bracer connected to it to sudden start emitting a bright blue form of energy that seemed to dance and flow like a burning flame, extending about a foot past Wasabi's hand.

 _Immortals!_

Wasabi looked at Hiro in shock, prompting the boy to smile and gesture at something. Looking in the direction Hiro had indicated, Wasabi saw Heathcliff, wearing the kabuki mask again, standing a short distance away behind a tennis ball launcher. As Wasabi watched, Heathcliff reached down and switched the machine on, causing it to hum as it warmed up.

 _Just not for long, for long!_

A low thump came from the machine as it launched a tennis ball straight at Wasabi. Letting out a panicked squeak, Wasabi quickly brought his hands up to protect his face. As he did, one of the energy fields passed through the tennis ball, neatly severing it in half with a burning hiss.

 _And if we meet forever now,_

Blinking in surprise, Wasabi glanced down at the remains of the tennis ball before looking at the burning energy blade extending from his wrist. Another thump caught Wasabi's attention and he quickly flicked the other blade into life before slicing the tennis ball out of the air.

 _Pull the blackout curtains down._

In response, Heathcliff upped the speed of the launcher, causing it to spray a steady stream of tennis balls at Wasabis. Trusting his honed instincts, Wasabi's hands became a blur of motion as he slashed at the incoming tennis balls, the energy blades humming and hissing as they sliced through the projectiles with ease. As he sliced at the balls, Wasabi began moving forward, slowly picking up momentum as he gained confidence.

 _Just not for long, for long!_

Running at a full sprint now, Wasabi quickly closed in on the tennis ball launcher, prompting Heathcliff to take a single step away from the machine. Once he was close enough, Wasabi leapt into the air before chopping down at the launcher, the energy blade slicing through the metal like a hot knife through butter. The launcher sparked and wheezed for a few moments before dying, it's two halves falling over as smoke rose from the remains.

 _We could be immortals, immortals!_

Grinning at his handiwork, Wasabi turned his attention towards Heathcliff standing a few feet away from him. Approaching the man, Wasabi reached out to take the kabuki mask off of him, only to pause as the butler raised his eyebrows slightly while eyeing the energy blade the young man was bringing dangerously close to his face. Realization striking him, Wasabi quickly pulled his hand back and turned off the energy blade, smiling sheepishly at Heathcliff.

 _Immortals! Immortals!_

Hiro sat in a rolling chair in the garage, holding one of Fred's comic books in his hands. He glanced at the cover, which depicted a roaring kaiju destroying a major metropolitan city. Turning his attention back towards Fred, Hiro found the young man doing his best to mimic the pose of the kaiju on the cover, his mouth opened comically wide as his eyes were focused on the boy to see if he was watching. Hiro could only shake his head and chuckle in response.

 _Immortals!_

Staring at the computer screen, Hiro pulled up an image of a large pair of boots with a pair of powerful springs built into the soles. Nodding in satisfaction, Hiro dragged the boots over to the rest of the suit schematics, locking them in place with a grin.

 _Sometimes the only payoff for having any faith,_

Outside in Fred's backyard, Hiro lifted up the headpiece for the costume he had assembled before resting it on Fred's shoulders. Unlike the other outfits Hiro had created, this one resembled a mascot costume more than a suit of armor. Fred was now dressed as some sort of kaiju monster with blue, scaly skin, horns and orange frills on its arms and head. It's hands and feet ended in curved, black claws and its long tail was tipped with black spines. There was no separation between the monster's head and body, with its circular mouth located near the center of its chest and ringed with fangs. Along with everything, the monster sported three, angry, yellow eyes that glared out at the world. The third eyes was set higher than the others and actually served as a viewpoint so Fred could see.

 _Is when it's tested again and again, everyday!_

Fred began to excitedly bounce on his feet once the costume was complete. In doing so, he caught himself off guard as he bounced into the air a few feet. Catching himself as he landed, Fred took another experimental bounce and seemed to get the hang of his new feet, promptly jumping as high as he could, sending him soaring several stories into the air.

 _I'm still comparing your past to my future._

"Super jump!" Fred exclaimed as he flew threw the air, landing back on the ground without any injury. Immediately, Fred leapt back into the air, using the compression from his landing to jump even higher into the air. As he leapt, Fred happened to hit a button in one of the suit's arms, causing flames to come shooting out of the suit's teeth, giving the impression that the monster was breathing fire.

 _It might be your wound, but they're my sutures!_

"I can breathe fire!" Fred shouted as he spun in a circle mid-air, sending flames spewing in every direction. As he fell back to earth, Fred glanced around and spotted Heathcliff standing a short distance away, once more wearing his kabuki mask.

 _I am the sand, bottom half of the hourglass._

Taking a short hop over to where Heathcliff was standing, Fred began to circle the man like a predator, hopping from one side to the other. After a moment, Fred got an idea. Leaping higher into the air, Fred began breathing fire onto the ground, creating a wide circle of low-burning fire around Heathcliff, effectively 'trapping' him. After the circle was complete, Fred landed behind Heathcliff, plucked the mask off the butler's face and leapt away with a whoop of joy.

 _I'll try to picture me without you but I can't!_

Hiro, Oh, and Tip stood around Wasabi's van, examining it and the damage that had been done to it. Getting down on his hands and knees, Hiro moved in closer to one of the tires so that he could get a better look at what Oh had done to it, the Boov leaning down to assist him. At the same time Tip examined the empty space in the van where the passenger door had been with a worried expression. As she looked at the van, Heathcliff walked up next to her holding a blowtorch and wearing a welder's mask on his head. Tip looked up at Heathcliff in surprise, prompting the butler to lower the welder's mask over his face and turn on the blow torch, a hot blue flame springing to life at its tip.

 _'Cause we could be immortals, immortals!_

Oh and Hiro stood in front of the boy's computer, examining various schematics from the shield generator they had built into the armor of Baymax's arm to a breakdown of the upgrades the Boov had added to Wasabi's van. Reaching to the side, Hiro pulled up another schematic, which resembled a flat, metallic disk.

 _Just not for long, for long!_

Oh and Hiro huddled around one of the workbenches, working on a device that was based off the schematics they had been looking at before. Pushing a button on the device's side, Hiro turned it on, the small disc humming with power. A second later, the device seemed to project a dome of light around the device, similar to the energy that Baymax's shield had projected. Hiro and Oh smiled excitedly as they looked at the device before it suddenly began to spark and the glowing dome flickered for a moment. Hiro and Oh had time to shoot uneasy glances at one another before the device exploded, sending out a wave of energy that knocked them both onto their backs. As Oh groaned in pain, Hiro pushed himself back up into a seated position, a pensive expression on his face.

 _And if we meet forever now,_

Later on, Hiro, Tip and Oh stood in Fred's driveway, looking at Wasabi's van. The vehicle had been completely repaired, with its passenger door and windows replaced to such a degree that it was impossible to tell they had even been damaged. The van currently sat in its flight mode, hovering a few inches off the ground.

 _Pull the blackout curtains down._

Getting into the van, Tip noticed that the seat had been altered so that she could now reach the pedals while also allowing her to still be able to see out of the front window. She also noticed that alterations had been made to the dashboard in front of the passenger seat. It now had a display built into it, from which extended a joystick topped with a red button.

 _Just not for long, for long!_

As Tip looked at the new additions in confusion, Oh hopped into the passenger seat, grinning broadly at the girl as he did. Turning towards the display in front of him, Oh pressed one of the buttons next to the screen, causing the shield projectors that had been built into the side of the van to spring to life, surrounding the vehicle in a bubble of glowing energy.

 _We could be immortals, immortals!_

Tip looked out the window, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of the energy bubble surrounding the van. As she was looking, Oh pushed a different button on the display, which caused the vehicle to let out a mechanical grinding noise as it rose a few feet into the air. A second later, a panel in the bottom of the van opened and what looked like a folded up tripod attached to a swivel mount descended into view. Once the tripod had fully descended, the pylons opened up like a blooming flower. The space between the now extended pylons began to glow with the same energy as the shields while a fourth, shorter pylon extended from the point where the other three met. At the same time, the display screen in front of Oh sprung to life, showing a feed from a camera that was clearly attached to the top of the fourth, a targeting reticle superimposed over the image.

 _Immortals! Immortals!_

As Tip turned her attention towards the screen, Oh began moving the joystick around, causing the tripod to rotate on its mount. As Oh played around with the joystick, he ended up accidentally pushing the button on top of it. Instantly, a wave of pure force shot out from the tripod with a roar and went flying across the driveway in the direction the fourth pylon had been pointing. The wave was powerful enough that it dug up chunks of asphalt as it went before slamming into a small tree planted at the driveway's edge with enough force to uproot it before finally dissipating. A shocked silence fell over the group for a long moment before Hiro and Tip turned their attention towards Oh, who had the decency to smile back at them in embarrassment.

 _Immortals!_

"Watch this," Honey whispered excitedly as she and Hiro gathered around one of the tables that was stacked with chemicals from her lap. Holding a dropper over a liquid in a petri dish, Honey carefully squeezed a drop of the liquid out of the dropper, causing it to splash down on the chemical below. A split second after the two made contact, a strange, blue foam came spindling out, shooting off in strands in every direction.

"Whoa," Hiro said with a surprised laugh, "That was incredible. I'm not sure how we're going to get it so that we can stick Yokai with this stuff though."

"You're right," Honey agreed, deflating slightly.

"It's really impressive though," Hiro reassured her, "The stuff I've seen you able to do….it's pretty incredible."

"Th-Thanks," Honey replied, her voice cracking slightly as she turned away from Hiro while blinking her eyes rapidly.

"Is….everything okay?" Hiro questioned in confusion.

"I'm fine, it's just…." Honey paused as she took a deep breath before she smiled down at Hiro, "You remind me a lot of him."

"Oh…." Hiro replied as his shoulders slumped slightly, "I guess that makes sense."

"I'm sorry," Honey apologized as she shook her head, a few strands of her hair falling out of the messy bun she had it in, "I shouldn't have-"

"You made him happy, you know," Hiro spoke up, cutting off Honey's apology.

"W-What?" Honey questioned in surprised confusion.

"I mean, I had no idea you guys were dating at the time," Hiro explained, looking down at his feet as he ran a hand through his hair, "But I just remember he was just….happier one day. Not that he was ever depressed or anything like that but…."

Hiro paused and sighed as he turned his attention back towards Honey.

"I just wanted you to know that you made my brother happy," he said with a small smile.

Honey bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes. Pulling off her glasses, she quickly wiped her eyes before she kneeled down and pulled Hiro into a hug, which the boy gladly returned.

"He made me happy too," Honey said as she pulled away from Hiro and fished her phone out of her pocket before opening up a picture of the two of them together, "Sometimes I just stare at the old photos of us, remembering those times."

Hiro smiled sadly as he looked at the pictures on her phone before his brow furrowed as she flipped through the photos.

"Wait, go back," Hiro said, prompting Honey to flip back to a picture she had skipped over, "What's that?"

Her brow knitting together in puzzlement, Honey studied the picture closer. It was a picture of Honey standing by a baseball field posing for the camera. Her glasses were removed and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that she had threaded through a baseball cap. Additionally, she wore a pair of long, white, cotton pants and a black and white baseball shirt with the words "SFIT Intramural Softball League" emblazoned across the chest.

"Oh, Tadashi took this photo of me when he came to watch one of my softball game," Honey explained.

"You play softball?" Hiro questioned.

"In an intramural league," Honey explained with a shrug, "And back in high school. I was a pretty good pitcher, actually."

"Softball," Hiro mused as he ran a hand through his hair before smiling excitedly, "Alright, I think I've got an idea."

An hour or so later, Honey stood in Fred's backyard, equipped with her new gear. She wore a bodysuit similar to the ones Go Go and Wasabi were given though hers was magenta in color and had fingerless gloves attached to the sleeves. Over this she wore a sleeveless minidress that was equal parts orange and dark pink. A matching helmet sat on her head with a built in visor, requiring her to remove her glasses and a pair of wedged boots covered her feet.

Along with the outfit, Honey wore what looked like a large purse over her shoulder, though it was made out of an orange colored metal. On the side of the purse was a digital screen shaped like a heart on which was displayed the periodic table of elements in bright colors. Along the strap of the bag were dozens of colored, plastic balls, each roughly the size of a tennis ball.

"You sure about this, Hiro?" Honey questioned uncertainly.

"Yeah, it's all secure," Hiro replied, "Just enter whatever chemical combination you want and the bag will do the rest."

Still looking uncertain, Honey turned her attention towards Heathcliff, who was standing a short distance away in his kabuki mask. Seeing her look at him, Heathcliff raised his arm and made a 'bring it on' motion with his hand.

Narrowing her eyes in determination, Honey quickly tapped on a quick series of elements on the digital display, causing the strap of her bag to shift as one of the plastic balls was pulled into the bag through an opening at one end. The bag made a few mechanical noises for a moment before the ball popped out at the other end of the bag, now filled with a mixture of chemicals. Taking the ball in her hand, Honey held it up to her face so that she could examine it.

"The chem-balls are designed to break when they strike an object hard enough," Hiro explained, "Then, whatever chemicals you put in there should react."

Nodding in understanding, Honey turned her attention towards Heathcliff before she adjusted her stance. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Honey took a step towards Heathcliff and spun her arm in a circular motion before throwing the chem-ball at him. The ball struck the ground at Heathcliff's feet, immediately exploding into a blob of foam that crawled up to his midsection before hardening.

Upon seeing her success, Honey began to giggle and hop up and down excitedly, a reaction that Hiro could only smile at.

 _Meanwhile,_

As everyone was working on getting their gear ready, Riley was doing her best to keep herself busy as she wandered near where Fred's property met the ocean.

" _It would be nice if we're some sort of super genius,_ " Sadness sighed, " _Then, at least, we'd be able to do something to help._ "

" _Instead of sitting around like a lump on a log,_ " Disgust added, " _Which is basically what we're doing_."

" _What if-_ " Joy started to say.

"Alright, that's enough," Riley said aloud, causing her emotions to fall silent, "I have an idea."

Kicking off her shoes, Riley reached into her pocket and pulled out a hair elastic before pulling her hair up and away from her neck. Once that was set, she turned her attention towards the ocean, closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Once she felt a sense of calm fall over her, Riley began running through the tai chi motions that had been taught to her.

As she performed the motions, the now familiar sense of empty peace flowed through Riley. Her mind was empty of her own thoughts and the constant chatter of her emotions. Her senses felt heightened though not to any distracting degree. She felt each blade of neatly trimmed grass that grazed the soles of her feet and heard every wave crashing against the shore. Her nose was filled with the scent of the salt air and her skin was warmed by the light of the sun. Riley could almost feel the tension leaving her body as she began to re-

"Hello, Riley," Baymax's voice suddenly said from behind her, causing the girl to jump in surprise. Opening her eyes, Riley turned around to find Baymax standing a short distance away.

"Your heart rate just spiked abnormally," Baymax commented.

" _Geez, I wonder why_?" Anger groused.

"You just startled me, Baymax," Riley replied with a chuckle.

"I apologize," Baymax stated before he tilted his head to one side, "What are you doing?"

"I'm doing some tai chi," Riley answered.

"What is tai chi?" Baymax inquired curiously.

"It's a type of martial art," Riley explained.

"Like karate?" Baymax asked as he held his hands up in a chopping stance.

"Sort of," Riley replied with a giggle, "It's more about defense compared to karate though."

As Riley spoke, a thought came to her.

"Would you like me to show you some of the moves?" Riley questioned.

There was a pause as Baymax seemed to ponder the question.

"Yes," Baymax answered, "It could prove to be a valuable addition to my combat skills."

Nodding and flashing Baymax a smile, Riley turned back towards the ocean, prompting the robot to walk up next to her.

"Alright, the first thing you need to do is take a deep, calming breath," Riley explained before doing so.

"But I am a robot," Baymax interjected, "I do not need to breath, nor do I have any emotions to calm."

"Well, I guess you have that step mastered then," Riley commented with a chuckle, "Now, copy my movements the best you can."

With that, Riley began to run through a series of simpler movements she knew, Baymax watching her closely while copying her movements with inhuman accuracy.

"The speed of these movements would suggest they are incapable of causing bodily harm," Baymax commented.

"They are if you do them fast enough," Riley explained, "You practice them like this so you can get the movements down. It also helps relax your body and mind."

Baymax seemed to accept this explanation and the two of them fell into a comfortable silence as Riley continued through the various movements she knew, the robot copying her all the while.

Riley wasn't sure how long she and Baymax spent doing tai chi, but when she took a moment to glance up at the sky, she noticed the position of the sun had changed significantly since she had begun. As she glanced around, she also noticed Hiro standing a short distance away, causing her to start in surprise.

" _Geez, what's with people sneaking up on us today?_ " Fear questioned.

"Hiro," Riley said with a chuckle as she brought a hand up to her chest, "I didn't see you there."

"Sorry, you seemed busy so I decided to….um…." Hiro trailed off awkwardly.

"Stand there and watch me?" Riley questioned, her cheeks turning pink as she spoke.

Hiro sputtered in embarrassment as his face flushed crimson.

" _He's so adorable_ ," Joy cooed.

"What do you need?" Riley questioned with a giggle.

"I needed to, uh, borrow Baymax," Hiro said as he pointed at the robot.

"Upgrade time?" Riley questioned.

"Yep," Hiro replied as he glanced over at Baymax and beckoned the robot over to him, "Come on, big guy."

"And then me next?" Riley spoke up, causing Hiro to freeze in his tracks as he turned to walk away.

"Huh?" Hiro asked dumbly.

"After you're done with Baymax's upgrades, you'll do my, right?" Riley elaborated, "You've done everyone else so far, so I'm guessing it's my turn next."

"R-Right," Hiro agreed nervously, "Of course, right after I'm done with Baymax."

With that, Hiro turned away from Riley and began walking away, hiding his nervous expression from view and prompting Baymax to follow him. Riley, for her part, crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Hiro's retreating form.

" _Yeah,_ " Disgust commented with a snort, " _That was believable_."

A/N: Well, this chapter ended up being much longer than I was expecting it to be. Still, it ended up being a lot of fun to write. I hope you guys enjoyed the changes I made! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review!


	24. Hard to Do

**Chapter 24: Hard to Do**

The afternoon sun had started to dip down towards the horizon as Riley, Tip, Fred, Wasabi, Honey and Go Go sat together on a set of Fred's patio furniture near the house.

"This is so cool!" Fred exclaimed excitedly, his voice muffled by his kaiju suit.

"Yeah," Wasabi agreed before he stood up and began pulling at the seat of his pants, "Though, is anyone else's suit riding up on them?"

As the others chuckled at the comment, Hiro came running into view from around a corner.

"Hey, guys!" Hiro's voice called, bringing everyone's attention towards it. They all spotted Hiro standing a short distance away. Now dressed in blue armor with red highlights over a black bodysuit, though the most noticeable thing was that the gloves of his suit were disproportionately large compared to the rest of his armor.

"Come check this out," Hiro requested as he beckoned to them, prompting the group to follow him to a different part of Fred's backyard.

Rounding a corner, the group stopped short as they found the upgraded Baymax standing before them. He was now dressed in bright red armor with blue highlights. Unlike his previous armor, this one did not mold to Baymax's normally pudgy form. Instead this one appeared to give him a broad, muscular frame, making Baymax seem tall, confident and imposing.

"Ta das!" Oh called as he stepped out from around Baymax, indicating towards the robot with his outstretched arms while smiling broadly at the group, "May I's be introducings the Baymax 2.0!"

A silence fell over the group as they looked at the new and improved Baymax with surprise.

" _Whoa_ ," Joy gasped.

"He's glorious!" Fred whispered in awe.

As the others continued to look on, a butterfly happened to flit by Baymax's face. Instantly, Baymax's posture changed to a more relaxed, non-threatening stance as he followed the butterfly's path with his eyes. As it began to fly away from him, Baymax turned and started to follow the butterfly, prompting Hiro to step in front of him.

"Whoa! Hold up!" Hiro exclaimed, causing Baymax to stop and look down at him, "Focus. Let's show these guys what you can do."

"The fist!" Oh requested with giddy excitement, "Be showings them the fists!"

"Good idea," Hiro agreed with a nod before looking up at the robot, "Show them the fist, Baymax."

Taking a wide stance, Baymax held out one arm with his hand clenched into a fist.

"Ba-la-la-la!" Baymax said as he wiggled his fingers, earning snorts of laughter from the group.

"No, not that," Hiro explained with a chuckle, "The other thing."

Seemingly understanding, Baymax looked down his arm. As he did, four small thruster engines, similar to the ones that had been built into Wasabi's van, rose out of panels built into the armor. Blue lights slowly grew in intensity at the end of the thrusters before the armored fist went flying off his arm and shooting through the air. The fist shot across the grounds, heading in a straight line towards a statue sitting near the edge of the property. Not only did the fist shatter the statue into a thousand pieces upon impact, it also continued on and slammed into the stone wall behind it, punching through it and leaving a sizeable hole in its wake.

"Whoa!" Tip exclaimed in surprise.

" _That was so cool!_ " Joy exclaimed.

"Rocket fist makes Freddie so happy!" Fred squealed as he began bouncing on his toes while the rocket fist returned itself to Baymax's outstretched hand.

"That's just one of his new upgrades," Hiro stated before turning his attention towards the robot, "Baymax! Wings!"

At Hiro's command, a pair of rigid, metallic wings suddenly sprung out of Baymax's back.

"What!?" Fred exclaimed, "No way!"

Running around to Baymax's back, Hiro flexed his gloves, which caused red glowing rings to spring into life on the palms. Hopping up, he slapped the gloves onto Baymax's back, causing them to stick to the robot's armor with a metallic clang. Pulling himself up, Hiro then clicked his heels together, causing a pair of similar rings to appear on the soles of his shoes, allowing him to stick to Baymax's armor as well.

"Alright, buddy," Hiro said as he pulled himself up so he could look over Baymax's shoulder, "Thrusters."

Immediately, Baymax straightened before the glowing blue energy of the thrusters Hiro and Oh had been using sprung into life from the bottoms of the robot's feet, causing him to start hovering a few inches off the ground.

"I fail to see how flying makes me a better healthcare companion," Baymax stated as he looked over his shoulder at Hiro.

"I fail to see how you fail to see that it's awesome!" Hiro replied with a laugh before he pointed straight up, "Full thrust!"

Baymax turned his attention skyward as the energy from the thrusters increased. However, just as he was about to launch upwards, Baymax lost his balance and tipped forward, sending him and Hiro rocketing across the ground towards the others. Yelling in surprise, most of the others dove out of the way while Fred easily hopped over Baymax and Hiro, allowing the two to pass underneath him.

Turning to watch Hiro and Baymax, the others saw the robot attempt to regain control of himself, digging a deep furrow into the lawn as he turned the two of them around, accidentally shooting them higher into the air. As they went racing back towards the ocean, Baymax became more unstable, flipping upside down as he shot above the others' heads, leaving them helpless as Hiro and the robot flew towards the city.

After a few moments of struggling, Baymax managed to right himself.

"Alright, big guy," Hiro said cautiously as he looked down at Baymax, "Why don't we take this nice and slow."

Looking up, Hiro saw that they were quickly careening towards a giant advertisement built onto the top of a restaurant.

"Up, up, up, up, up!" Hiro screamed, "Thrust, thrust, thrust!"

Half a second before they collided with the advertisement, Baymax seemed to get his feet underneath himself and they suddenly went shooting straight up into the air, Hiro letting out a terrified shout as they ascended.

"Too much thrust! Too much thrust!" Hiro cried over the whipping winds that tried to drag him back down towards the earth, "Too much thrust!"

In response, after having shot several hundred feet into the air, Baymax suddenly shut off his thrusters, their momentum carrying them towards the Torii Gate Bridge as they began plummeting towards the ground.

"No, no, no, no!" Hiro shouted in terror as they fell towards the busy bridge, "Back on! Back on!"

Baymax quickly did as he was instructed, reactivating his thrusters a few feet above the asphalt, sending them shooting through the air just above the cars zooming past below them. Seeing that they were rapidly approaching an oncoming box truck, Hiro began to desperately try and direct Baymax upwards.

"Up!" Hiro shouted over the whipping winds and the blaring of car horns, "Up, up, up!"

Directing himself upwards, Baymax shot just over the box truck before climbing up towards one of the iconic gates that held the bridge aloft, Hiro laughing with exhilaration as they soared through the air.

Shutting off his thrusters, Baymax came to a safe stop on top of one of the gates.

"Oh man," Hiro said with a chuckle as he fought to catch his breath while draping himself over Baymax's shoulder, "Maybe….Maybe that's enough flying for today."

Turning his head, Baymax regarded Hiro for a moment.

"What do you say, buddy?" Hiro questioned as he looked Baymax in the eye.

"Your neurotransmitter levels are rising steadily," Baymax observed.

"Which means what?" Hiro questioned cautiously, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"The treatment is working," Baymax replied simply before he leaned to the side and began tipping off the side of the gate.

"Oh no," Hiro squeaked as they began to plummet towards the bay, "No, no, no, no, no!"

Hiro let out a scream as they fell towards the choppy waters. A second before they hit the water, Baymax suddenly activated his thrusters, sending the two of them skidding across the surface of the bay, waves shooting up in their wake. Quickly catching his breath, a smile began to spread across his features as the exhilaration of flying took hold of him.

"Yes!" Hiro shouted as they rocketed back towards the city, "Wooo!"

Shooting over the residential areas, Hiro and Baymax quickly flew towards downtown San Fransokyo. Weaving their way through the towering skyscrapers, Hiro couldn't help but marvel as he saw the city from angles he had never even imagined. Laughing as Baymax zipped under bridges and around advertisements, Hiro couldn't help but smiling, beaming at his reflection whenever he caught sight of it in one of the reflective glass sides of the surrounding skyscrapers.

Eventually, Baymax and Hiro settled onto one of the floating generators that hung above the city, sitting side by side as they watched the sun start to dip below the horizon.

"Wow," Hiro whispered with reverent awe, "That was….that was…."

"Sick?" Baymax suggested.

"Yeah," Hiro replied with a chuckle, "That's right, buddy."

"Your emotional state has improved," Baymax observed as he looked down at Hiro, "I can deactivate if you say you are satisfied with your care."

"What?" Hiro questioned in confusion before shaking his head, "No, I don't want you to deactivate. We still have to find Yokai. So, fire up that super sensor."

Standing up, Baymax turned his attention towards San Fransokyo, which spread out before him. As he looked at the city, the screen of his visor flashed green as he activated his scanner.

"Functionality improved," Baymax stated as he slowly shifted his gaze across the cityscape, "One thousand percent increase in range."

Baymax then fell silent for a few moments as he slowly looked over the entire city. Finally, a soft beep came from Baymax and he lifted his arm to point.

"I have found a match," Baymax stated, "On that island."

Looking in the direction that Baymax was pointing, Hiro's brow furrowed in confusion as his eyes fell on the large island jutting out of the middle of the bay.

"You're sure he's there?" Hiro questioned as he turned back towards Baymax, "On that island?"

"The chance that my scan was incorrect is less than one thousandth of a percent," Baymax informed him.

"Well, then we better go get the others," Hiro informed him before climbing up onto Baymax's back, "Let's go."

Wordlessly acknowledging Hiro's command, Baymax activated his thrusters and shot back into the sky, carrying the two of them back towards Fred's mansion.

 _Meanwhile,_

Back at Fred's house, the others were still gathered on his lawn, with Riley standing near the edge of the property, looking out onto the bay as the sun painted the sky in oranges and purples. As she watched the sinking sun, Go Go skated up next to her.

"You know, I'm getting tired of that glum look on your face," Go Go commented with a smirk, "It's not a good look for you."

Riley smirked at the comment, but it quickly fell away as she looked up at Go Go.

"You think they're okay?" Riley questioned worriedly.

"I'm sure they're fine," Go Go answered with a dismissive wave of her hand, "Hiro's a tough kid and Baymax wouldn't let anything happen to him, even if the kid had strapped space rockets to his feet."

"I guess you're right," Riley said with a nod, though her expression remained worried.

"I can tell that's not the only thing that's bothering you," Go Go pointed out, "So, why don't you just spit it out?"

" _Well, I guess we might as well say something_ ," Sadness commented.

"I'm fine, it's just…." Riley paused to sigh, "I feel like something's bothering Hiro."

"Well, we are going after the guy who killed his brother," Go Go suggested, "I think that would bother anybody."

"I know, it's just…." Riley sighed again as she struggled to put what she wanted to say into words, "He's been acting weird to me in particular. It feels like he's trying to avoid me and keep me at arm's length."

"The kid has a lot on his plate," Go Go argued gently as she leaned down closer to Riley, "With everything that's happened to him….I think he just wants to keep the people he cares about safe."

"But that's what I'm afraid of," Riley replied, "He's tried to do this sort of thing before. Like when he tried to keep you all from being involved in this."

"From what I can tell, pushing people away is pretty standard when it comes to dealing with tragedy," Go Go stated.

" _Speaking of which_ ," Joy muttered.

"Right," Riley replied before her eyes dropped down and she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Go Go replied with a nod, "What's up?"

There was a short pause as Riley considered her words.

"What's going on between you and Wasabi?" Riley questioned.

"Going on?" Go Go asked in confusion, though Riley could tell she was trying to hide the surprise she felt at the question, "Why would you-"

Go Go cut herself off as she saw the pointed look that Riley was giving her.

" _Seriously?_ " Disgust questioned

"Psychic powers," Go Go muttered with an annoyed sigh, "Right."

There was another pause as Go Go took a deep breath.

"Wasabi….he likes me," Go Go stated before shrugging uncomfortably, "You know….really likes me."

"Do you like him?" Riley questioned.

"I guess?" Go Go replied, cringing as she spoke.

"So, what's going on between you two?" Riley inquired, "Ever since the fire, you two have been acting weird towards each other."

"You've noticed us asking weird?" Go Go questioned, "Is it that obvious?"

"Probably not," Riley assured her with a shrug, "I think I've just noticed because of my powers. So,what happened between you two?"

"After the fire, we were both feeling pretty down," Go Go explained, "So we, uh, I guess we….comforted each other."

" _What does that mean?_ " Joy questioned.

"What? Like you kissed and stuff?" Riley questioned, her expression perplexed.

"And stuff sums it up pretty well," Go Go answered with a smirk.

" _Wait a second_ ," Disgust whispered as realization dawned on Riley.

"Did you guys have-" Riley began as she gasped loudly before she quickly dropped her voice to a whisper while she nervously glanced around, "Did you guys have sex?"

"Oh my god," Go Go groaned as she buried her face in her hands and laughed, "I forget how young you are sometimes."

" _Hey!_ " Anger snapped defensively.

"I'm old enough to talk about, you know," Riley paused as she glanced around nervously, a blush spreading across her features as she dropped her voice to a whisper again, "Sex."

"You can't even say the word without acting like someone's going to come and arrest you!" Go Go pointed out.

"Okay, fine, maybe I can't talk about this stuff," Riley relented, "I still don't understand why this means you and Wasabi are being weird to each other."

"Because he wants….more," Go Go explained with a sigh.

"More?" Riley questioned in confusion, "Like, to be your boyfriend or something?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Go Go confirmed with a nod.

"Then what's the problem?" Riley pushed, "I thought you just said that you like Wasabi?"

"I do, I'm just…." Go Go let out another frustrated sigh, "I'm no good for him."

"What are you talking about?" Riley questioned in confusion, "You're awesome."

"Thanks, Fargo," Go Go replied with a snort of amusement, "But the truth of the matter is I've never been good with people. That's why I'm an engineer. I would drive him crazy, I'm sure."

" _What is she talking about?_ " Anger questioned.

Riley's face was still a picture of confusion as she looked at Go Go and tried to process what the young woman meant. As she did, Riley noticed a smoldering bit of fear that Go Go was trying to keep hidden.

"You're afraid of something," Riley observed, "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of…." Go Go began before Riley gave her an annoyed look, "You know, it's really aggravating that I can't lie to you about my feelings like a normal person."

"I guess you're just going to have to learn to deal with me," Riley replied as she continued to give Go Go a hard look, "What are you afraid of?"

"Geez, I feel like I should be paying you for my therapy," Go Go huffed.

"Yuri," Riley said firmly.

"Fine, you know what, fine," Go Go growled in frustration as she glared down at Riley, "It's because I don't want to get hurt. Is that what you wanted me to say? I'm afraid of getting hurt, just like everyone else."

There was a pause as Go Go and Riley looked at one another for a quiet moment.

"This is because of what happened to Tadashi, isn't it?" Riley questioned quietly.

"I've never been good at making friends," Go Go stated as she turned her attention towards the ocean, "If you couldn't tell, I'm a little standoffish."

"You've always gotten along with me fine," Riley pointed out.

"You're different, Fargo," Go Go said with a small sigh before she looked over at Riley and gave her a small smile, "You always reminded me of myself."

Riley couldn't help but smile slightly at the comment.

"What I'm trying to say is I've never had a lot of friends," Go Go explained, "So, losing a close one like that it was….it was tough."

"It was tough on all of us," Riley pointed out.

"I know, but the rest of you weren't in a position to stop him from running into that building," Go Go elaborated, "I was. I could have stopped Tadashi if I wanted to, but I didn't. Now, he's dead."

"Go Go, you can't blame yourself for that," Riley said, as she looked up at the young woman sadly.

"Sure I can," Go Go argued, "And I can make sure that it doesn't happen again. I could have saved Tadashi if I had hurt him, and I can do the same for Wasabi."

"That's not the same thing, Go Go," Riley replied, her expression stricken, "I don't really know much about relationships, but I can tell what you and Wasabi feel for each other is genuine. Even if it ends up you guys didn't want to be boyfriend and girlfriend, it can't hurt that much to not bother trying."

"You're right, Fargo," Go Go stated as she chuckled in dark amusement as she turned her attention back towards the ocean, "You don't know much about relationships."

As she looked out over the darkening waters, Go Go glanced up as she noticed something flying through the air above the bay.

"Come on," Go Go stated as she nodded back towards the mansion, "Let's go find the others. Looks like your boyfriend is back."

As Go Go turned away from the bay and made her way back towards the mansion, Riley took a moment to look up at the sky where she was able to stop Baymax's flying form, causing her to bite her lower lip in worry.

" _Well,_ " Fear said with a sigh, " _That went great_."

A short while later, the other had gathered around Hiro and Baymax as twilight began settling in around them.

"You're sure about this?" Wasabi questioned, quirking an eyebrow at Hiro.

"Baymax is certain," Hiro replied, "And he is a robot."

"So, Yokai is hiding out on Akuma Island?" Honey questioned, a look of disbelief on her face.

"It would appear so," Honey commented.

"Akuma Island?" Riley questioned, "Isn't that the island with the inescapable prison?"

"It was," Go Go confirmed, "But they closed it down decades ago. Now, it's a tourist destination. Most days, there's a ferry that goes there every half an hour."

"So, why would Yokai set up his evil base of operations in such a public place?" Tip questioned.

"Maybe it's a hide in plain sight kind of thing?" Fred suggested.

"It should be noted that some areas of Akuma Island are restricted from public access due to government mandate," Baymax stated.

"Restricted access?" Hiro questioned in confusion, "What for?"

"I do not know," Baymax answered, "That information is also restricted."

"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Wasabi commented.

"Whatever the government is doing on the island doesn't matter," Hiro spoke up, "Maybe it's part of Yokai's plans and maybe it isn't. What matters is that we know he's there, so let's go take him down!"

"Um, aren't you forgetting something?" Tip spoke up as she crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow at Hiro.

"I….uh….I," Hiro mumbled in confusion as he looked at Tip, "What?"

"Hiro, you still haven't equipped me yet," Riley pointed out, "How can I help if I'm not equipped?"

"Oh right," Hiro replied as Riley felt fear and trepidation build up in him, "Look, Riley, I was thinking…."

" _No. Way._ " Disgust said in shock as Hiro spoke, " _He's actually trying to bench us_."

" _We don't know he's trying to do that_ ," Joy argued nervously.

" _Don't be naive,_ " Anger admonished, " _He's doing exactly that_."

"Oh my God," Riley interrupted him, her tone a combination of shock and disgust, "You were never going to build anything for me. You were planning on leaving me here from the beginning."

"I wasn't-" Hiro began before hissing in pain as he felt a burning sensation in his head.

"Of course you were!" Riley snapped as she glared daggers at Hiro, "What did I tell you about lying to me!?"

Riley broke her glare as she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder. Turning, Riley found Tip standing next to her, giving her a worried look.

"Easy, Riley," Tip said calmly, "No need to fry anyone's brain yet."

Her eyes widening, Riley turned her attention back to Hiro, watching as the boy removed his helmet and rubbed his temples in pain. Glancing at the others, Riley couldn't help but notice the slight waves of fear being directed at her which caused her to flush with embarrassment.

" _They think we're a freak_ ," Fear whispered.

" _No, they don't,_ " Joy argued, " _They're our friends. They already knew about our powers._ "

" _That was before we figured out how to boil people's brains,_ " Anger pointed out.

"Sorry," Riley muttered as she looked down at her feet and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry about it," Hiro replied as he sighed and ran a gloved hand through his messy hair, "Look, Riley, this guy, he's dangerous."

"I know that, Hiro," Riley stated as she lifted her head to look at him again, "I was there last night too."

"I know you were, Riley," Hiro said, his voice becoming more heated as he spoke, "I watched you almost die, remember?"

"So did the rest of us," Riley argued as she gestured at the others, "Are you really going to single me out just because you like me?"

"Of course I am!" Hiro exclaimed incredulously, "Why wouldn't I!? You were the one who said that my pain was greater after Tadashi died because he was my brother. Why wouldn't I be worried that you getting hurt or killed would hurt me the same way!?"

There was a long pause as Riley stared at Hiro, her brows furrowing in confusion.

" _Oh my God_ ," Joy whispered.

"Are you….are you really that selfish?" Riley questioned in quiet shock.

"What?" Hiro asked, the question causing him to physically rock back in confusion, "Selfish? How am I being selfish? I'm trying to protect you!"

"Yeah," Riley agreed with a nod, her tone never changing, "But you're trying to protect me for your own sake, not for mine. You're worried if something happens to me, that it will hurt you."

"What?" Hiro replied, shaking his head as he tried to form a coherent argument against what Riley had said, "That's not….I mean….I didn't mean that."

"That's exactly what you meant, Hiro," Riley said, her tone growing colder, "Ever since Tadashi died, you've been pushing people away because you've been afraid of being hurt. I thought you had been getting better, but I was wrong. You just found a way to hide what you were doing."

"If trying to protect you is selfish, then fine, I'll be selfish," Hiro snarled, "You're not coming."

"You don't get to make that decision," Riley replied as her eyes narrowed.

"I don't see how I don't," Hiro argued, "You can't go into this fight without any kind of equipment and I don't plan on making you any."

Riley let out a frustrated, exasperated noise before she turned her attention towards the others.

"Are you guys just going to stand there and let him do this?" Riley questioned as she gave the four young adults hard looks.

"I don't know if it's the wrong thing to do, Fargo," Go Go spoke up, trying to give Riley an even look but the girl could feel the unease and sadness in the young woman.

"What!?" Riley snapped, her anger flaring.

"Yeah, wait, hold on a second," Fred said as he stepped up next to Go Go, "Are we seriously thinking about leaving Fargo behind? Because I'm not on board with that."

"She's just a kid, Fred," Go Go argued, "We can't go dragging her into this."

"But we can bring Hiro and Tip?" Fred replied, confusion clear in his voice even though his costume hid his face, "Hell, we're barely adults ourselves."

"This is different," Go Go stated as she narrowed her eyes at Fred.

"I really don't see how it is!" Fred shouted as he threw his hands into the air in exasperation, "I mean, she's the only one of us that has actual superpowers!"

"Tadashi was her friend," Honey added, "She deserves to be there with us."

"But can she handle it?" Wasabi interjected, "You remember the last time she was put into a stressful situation."

"Really, Wasabi?" Riley questioned hotly, "I'm standing right here, you know."

"Look, I'm sorry, Riley," Wasabi replied as he turned towards her and held his hands up in an effort to keep her calm, "But the last time you were in a situation like this, your powers got overwhelmed and you ended up practically catatonic!"

"This isn't the same thing!" Riley shouted, "And even if it was, I've learned to control my powers since then."

"But we still don't know that it can't happen to you again," Wasabi argued, "And if it happens again while we're fighting this guy, what will happen to you?"

"Do we really want to put her at risk like that?" Go Go questioned as she looked at Fred and Honey pointedly. Fred looked like he was about to argue but it seemed like realization stuck him and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

With a flabbergasted look plastered across her features, Riley looked at the four young adults standing before her.

"I can't believe this," Riley said after a moment, her voice barely louder than a whisper, "You all think that I'm some….some….some kind of delicate flower that could fall apart at any moment."

"It's happened to you before, Riley," Wasabi tried to reason with her, "It could happen-"

"It happened once," Riley snarled, "It happened on one of the worst days of my life, so if you're going stand there and…."

Riley paused as she locked eyes with Go Go, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"You're doing the same thing he is!" Riley snapped, "You're pushing me away so you don't get hurt! I thought you said I reminded you of yourself!"

"You do, Fargo," Go Go replied quietly, almost sadly, "And that's the problem."

"I….I can't…."

Riley trailed off as she looked around at the others. She saw and felt Go Go and Wasabi's resolve, Honey and Fred's sadness, Hiro's fear and stubbornness while Baymax stood impassively to the side. Glancing over at Oh, Riley saw that the Boov had retreated away from the conversation, glancing nervously between its participants. The only thing she could take solace in was the anger that was radiating off of Tip.

" _We're not going to win this_ ," Sadness said quietly.

"Fine," Riley muttered as she ran her hands over her face to wipe away the tears that were forming in her eyes, "Fine, you guys win."

"Good," Hiro said with a nod, a small smile spreading across his features, "I'm glad you can see that we're just trying to-"

"Shut up," Riley snapped, venom leaking out of her words, "All I see is that you're protecting yourself."

Hiro was so caught off guard by Riley's sudden change in demeanor that he couldn't muster any words to say in reply.

"I tried to help you," Riley continued, her voice becoming somber as her gaze turned towards her feet, "I tried as best as I could. But you don't want my help. So, I'm done."

"Done?" Hiro questioned in confusion.

"Done helping you," Riley elaborated, "Done with all of this. Done with….I'm just done."

"W-Well fine!" Hiro said, trying to regain some of his confidence, "I...We don't need you anyway!"

As a few of the others gave Hiro sharp looks, Riley only managed a rueful smile.

"That's good to know," Riley said before she turned away from them and began walking away.

"Riley?" Honey questioned with concern, "Riley, where are you going?"

"Home," Riley answered as she continued walking away, "I'm sure my parents are wondering where I am."

"Aren't you worried about Yokai?" Fred questioned.

"I'm sure you guys can handle him," Riley answered with a shrug as she kept walking.

"Riley, wait!" Fred said as he started to move after her, "At least let me-"

"Just let her go, Fred," Go Go spoke up, causing the young man to pause in his tracks.

"Let her go?" Fred questioned as he turned back towards Go Go, "You want her to walk home all by herself?"

"She'll be fine," Go Go assured him, "It's not that far."

"What's going on with you?" Fred asked in confusion and anger, "Aren't you supposed to be her hero or something? Shouldn't you be upset by all this? How the hell could you talk to her like that!?"

There was a pause as Go Go looked over at Riley's retreating form.

"She's better off this way," Go Go replied, "I was trying to tell her before these things don't work out. Now, she knows."

"You….you don't actually believe that," Fred whispered in shock.

Go Go paused again, looking pointedly at both Honey and Wasabi before turning her gaze back towards Fred.

"Why wouldn't I?" Go Go replied pointedly.

"Well, regardless as you think, we can't just let her walk by herself," Fred argued, "I mean, we have a flying van after all."

"About that," Tip spoke up, prompting the others to look at her. As they did, Tip suddenly tossed the keys to Wasabi's van, hitting the unsuspecting boy in the face.

"Ow!" Hiro cried out in surprised pain, his hands flying up to his face as the keys fell to the ground with a jingle, "What was that for!?"

"I figured you wanted those back," Tip replied with a shrug, "Since I'm taking off and everything."

"Taking off?" Honey questioned, "Tip, what do you mean?"

"Well, since Riley is leaving, I figured I'd get out of here too," Tip explained.

"What do you mean?" Wasabi questioned.

"You realize why I was ever here, right?" Tip questioned as she glanced around at the others, her tone of voice like she was talking to children, "Why I became involved in all of this?"

There was a quiet moment as the others glanced at each other in confusion.

"It's because of Riley," Tip said, answering her own question, "The only reason I know any of you is because of her. The only reason I'm here is because of her. So, if she's out, then so am I."

"But what about Yokai?" Fred questioned.

"Like Riley said, I'm sure you guys can handle it," Tip replied with a shrug, "You don't need a normal girl like me for that."

"But-But-" Hiro muttered desperately, "But you're the only one who can pilot the van."

Tip paused as she glanced over at the van before turning her attention back towards the others.

"That sounds like your problem, not mine" Tip observed with a smirk, "So, good luck with that."

"You're just going to walk away!?" Hiro demanded angrily, "You're not going to even help me stop the guy who killed my brother!? I thought you were my friend!"

"You had a chance to be," Tip replied calmly, "But now? Now you're just a jerk that my friend used to like."

With that, Tip turned away and began moving away from them, jogging in an effort to catch up with Riley, leaving everyone to watch her go in stunned silence.

"...Fine!" Hiro suddenly shouted, catching the others off guard as he glared at Tip's retreating form, "Who needs you!? We'll take Yokai down ourselves!"

"Uh, Hiro?" Wasabi spoke up hesitantly as Hiro turned around and made his way over to Baymax, "How, exactly, are we going to get to Akuma Island without Tip?"

"The van isn't the only thing we've got that can fly," Hiro said as he climbed up onto Baymax's back before giving his a friends a hard look from over the robot's shoulder, "Now, do you guys want to stop a supervillain or not?"

A/N: Lot of drama in this one! Kind of got away from me but I think it turned out pretty well! Let me know what you guys think! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	25. Found Footage

**Chapter 25: Found Footage**

Riley walked down the sidewalk with her head bowed, her bangs hiding her tear filled eyes as she wrapped her arms tightly around her chest.

" _Where are we going?_ " Joy questioned.

" _I don't know,_ " Sadness replied, " _Away seems like a good direction_."

"Riley!" she suddenly heard Tip's voice shout from behind her, "Hey, Riley, wait up!"

Turning around, Riley saw Tip jogging down the sidewalk towards her.

"Tip?" Riley questioned, turning to face her friend while wiping tears from her eyes, "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to catch up with you, obviously," Tip huffed and puffed as she came to a stop next to Riley before bending over and resting her hands on her knees as she fought to catch her breath.

"But why did you leave?" Riley clarified in confusion.

"Because why would I hang around without you?" Tip questioned as she straightened up and looked Riley in the eye, "The only reason I've been hanging around through all of this craziness is because of you."

There was a pause as Riley stared at Tip for a moment before she stepped forward and pulled her into a hug which the other girl quickly reciprocated.

"Thanks, Tip," Riley said as she stepped back and released the girl.

"Don't worry about it," Tip replied with a shrug, "What are friends for?"

Riley smiled briefly before sighing sadly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"So….that happened," Riley stated awkwardly.

"It sure did," Tip agreed with a chuckle.

"What do we do now?" Riley questioned.

"Follow through on what we're already doing, I guess," Tip answered with a shrug, "Head home. Lay low. Let the others handle all of this superhero craziness."

"I guess," Riley agreed with a sigh, "I'm starting to feel, I don't know, worried. I'm wondering if we're making the right decision, not helping."

"Well, they didn't exactly give you much of a choice," Tip pointed out.

"I know," Riley replied with a nod before shrugging, "I just feel like there was something we could have done."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now, so there's not really any sense in worrying about it," Tip suggested before she glanced up, smirking as she did, "Hey, are you hungry?"

"What?" Riley questioned in confusion, "Why?"

Tip responded by nodding in the direction she had been looking in, prompting Riley to follow her gaze. Across the street was a familiar restaurant, the neon lit sign of "Takahito's Sushi Wonderland," piercing the oncoming darkness.

"You like this place, right?" Tip questioned with a knowing smile as Riley looked back at her, "My treat."

Riley chuckled and a bright smile spread across her face.

"Sounds good," she agreed with a nod.

 _Meanwhile,_

Twilight had fallen across the city of San Fransokyo, the lights from the buildings and street lamps below casting long shadows into the sky above, perfectly cloaking Baymax as he rocketed through the space above the skyscrapers. Hiro crouched in his position on Baymax's back, his magnetic gloves and shoes holding him in place. Honey and Go Go sat on either side of Hiro, clutching Baymax's wings for support while Oh huddled in front of the boy. Baymax's arms were occupied with holding Fred and Wasabi, who were, respectively, exhilarated and terrified.

"Killer view," Go Go commented over the whipping winds as she glanced down at the city beneath them gave way to the expansive waters of the bay.

"Yeah, if I wasn't terrified of heights I'd probably love this," Wasabi commented as he desperately clung to Baymax's arm, doing is best not to look down, "But I'm terrified of heights, so I don't love this!"

As they flew, Honey glanced over at Hiro with a worried expression on her face, noting the angry one on his.

"Are you okay, Hiro?" Honey questioned, causing the boy to snap his head in her direction.

"I'm fine," he replied curtly.

"Look, with everything that just happened, I know-" Honey began to say.

"You don't know anything!" Hiro snapped, cutting Honey off and causing Go Go to glance over at them, while Oh glanced nervously between the two, "Whatever you were about to say, just save it. We've got more important things to worry about."

"Hiro-" Honey tried to say again.

"Do you want to get Tadashi's killer or not?" Hiro interrupted again.

Honey blinked in surprise for a moment before her expression changed, becoming something cold and hard as she glared back at Hiro.

"You know I do," Honey whispered harshly, the change in her demeanour causing Go Go to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"Then focus on that," Hiro replied as he turned his attention towards the rapidly approaching island, "Nothing else matters."

As they approached Akuma Island, Baymax began circling it from above. Down below, the group could see the island's infamous prison, a complex of concrete, blocky buildings surrounded by high fences topped with razor wire and overlooked by tall, menacing towers. As they continued to circle the island, Hiro spotted another structure tucked away in a small cove on the far side of the island.

"There, Baymax," Hiro said as he pointed the structure out to the others, "Bring us down."

Turning towards the structure, Baymax began his descent towards it. As the approached, the group was able to get a better look at the structure that lay before them. All they could see of the structure was what appeared to be the entrance, which resembled a large concrete bunker built into the island's rocky cliff face. The bunker was clearly of military make, with a large, metal door on the front and various antennae sprouting from the top. The bunker sat on a small area of land that had been paved over with concrete and encircled with a chain link fence topped with razor wire. Just beyond the fence was a small dock that could be accessed through a gated check point. A few barrels and crates lay scattered about the enclosed area, and signs attached to the fence announcing the area was closed off due to a quarantine. Beyond that, there were no signs of human occupation.

"Awesome!" Fred exclaimed as Baymax set him and Wasabi down before leaning over to allow the others to dismount from his back, "Our first landing together as a team!"

"Uh guys," Wasabi spoke up as he walked over to the fence and examined one of the signs, "I don't think we should be here."

"No kidding?" Go Go questioned sarcastically, "And I thought the giant fence topped with razor wire seemed so inviting."

"Seriously though," Wasabi replied, his tone nervous as he indicated towards the sign he had been reading, "Do you people even know what 'quarantine' means?"

"Is it being good?" Oh questioned hopefully.

"Quarantine," Baymax defined, holding up a hand with one finger extended like a professor giving a lecture, "Enforced isolation to prevent contamination that could lead to disease, or in some cases, death."

"That is not sounding to be very good," Oh stated with a gulp, his skin turning a pale shade of yellow.

"Oh, look, there's a skull face on this one," Wasabi said, pointing to another sign, "A skull face!"

"Oh, would you quit whining, Wasabi!" Go Go snapped as she turned and glared at him, "Yokai could have put those signs up himself for all we know!"

"And even if he didn't, whatever is going on here doesn't seem to be bothering him any," Hiro added.

Wasabi crossed his arms and sighed in reply, but didn't argue.

"Come on," Hiro stated as he waved everyone towards the door, "Let's see if we can find a way inside."

Walking up to the bunker, the group paused outside the large metal door.

"Should we knock?" Fred suggested with a shrug.

"In a manner of speaking," Hiro replied before looking over at Wasabi.

"Right," Wasabi replied as he nodded his head in understanding and flicked one of his blades on.

Stepping up to the door, Wasabi pulled his arm back and plunged it into the door, the plasma blade cutting into the heavy steel door like it was paper. Letting out a grunt, Wasabi began cutting a circle in the door, pausing once and doubling back to make sure that he could finish the cut properly. When he was finished, Wasabi had cut a circle in the door slightly taller than he was and just as wide.

There was a pause as Wasabi stepped away, the circle practically glowing from the now molten metal that rimmed it. Then, the metal door let out a groan and the circle toppled backwards into the bunker, landing with an echoing thud.

"Well," Wasabi said as he flicked the blade back off, "Glad to know those work."

"Come on," Hiro prompted as he crawled into the hole, prompting the others to squeeze in after him. All except Oh, that was.

"Um," Oh spoke up, bringing the others' attention to him as he looked away from them while wringing his hands together nervously, "Perhaps I should be staying here. To be keeping watch."

"Watch for what?" Honey questioned in confusion.

"The-The enemy of course!" Oh answered with a nervous laugh.

"And what, exactly, are you going to do if you spot the enemy?" Go Go questioned with a dubious expression.

"I am being quite the proficient screamer," Oh explained with an oddly proud tone, "I am being sure you will hears me whens the time is coming."

"I'm sure we will," Go Go replied neutrally, "But, how about, instead, you do us all a favor and get through the hole, you little snot!"

Go Go angrily snapped the last bit, startling Oh and causing him to quickly crawl through the hole, his skin turning yellow again as the young woman glared at him.

Sighing and shaking his head, Hiro turned away from the door so that he could get a better look at his surroundings. What lay before them was a long, wide hallway a little over eight feet in height. The hallway was spartan in design, with bare, dull grey, metal walls and floor, illuminated by dim fluorescent lights built into the ceiling. The hallway stretched for a few yards ahead before turning to the right and disappearing from sight.

"Come on," Hiro signalled to the others and together the seven of them began to cautiously make their way cautiously down the hallway, looking in every direction they could.

" _Seven intrepid friends, led by Fred_ ," Fred sung softly to himself as they continued down the winding hallway, " _Their leader, Fred. Fred's Angels, mhm._ "

"Fred, I swear to God," Wasabi whispered harshly, "If you don't shut up, I will laser-hand you in the face."

"Guys, shh," Hiro spoke up before turning his attention towards Baymax, "Any sign of him, Baymax?"

"The structure is interfering with my sensors," Baymax informed them as the group walked past a large metal door that was left slightly ajar.

"Great," Go Go sighed angrily as Honey paused at the door and peeked inside, "The robot's broken."

"Uh, guys," Honey spoke up, causing the others to look back at her, "You might want to see this."

As the others walked back to her, Honey grabbed the door and slid it open, revealing the room beyond. It was a large room, with at least a twenty foot high ceiling and a length and width twice that in both directions. Stepping inside, the group found they were on a catwalk, with the floor dropping ten feet below them. One side of the room was dominated mostly by metal wreckage of some sort, steel and wiring jutting off of the floor in every direction, burnt and broken. Rising up out of the wreckage and off to one side, was a large circle that had seemingly been hastily constructed out of the surrounding scraps. The circle, which was easily twenty feet in diameter, was lit up by a pair of spotlights, their illumination casting the rest of the room in shadow.

"What do you think it is?" Go Go questioned aloud as the group entered the room, looking at the mechanical contraption with a mixture of confusion and awe.

"I'm not sure," Hiro admitted before he reached out and pointed at a specific area of the machine, "But look."

Looking to where the boy indicated, the group could see that part of the machine bore the bird symbol that Hiro had drawn for them the day before.

"Guys," Honey spoke up, bringing everyone's attention to her, before she indicated to something behind them. Looking up, the group saw that an observation room had been built on the opposite side of the room from the reassembled machine, angry red light drifting through the windows that made up the walls of the room.

Together, the group made their way up the metal staircase that led to the observation room's thick, metal door. Gathering in front of it, the group huddled close together as Baymax reached out and pushed the door open, the hinges creaking as it swung inward.

The red light cast the room in heavily contrasted shadow, making it hard to make out precise details from where the group was standing. Nevertheless, they could see that just inside the windows ran a bank of computer terminals, with a rolling office chair parked in front of each station. Stepping inside, Hiro glanced around, noting a pair of staircases that led to a raised area in the rear, apparently created to allow those not working on the computers to observe the room beyond.

As Hiro looked around, he also discovered the source of the room's illumination. A huge computer monitor, situated in the center of the room, sat facing the windows, displaying the same symbol they had just seen in black on a blood red background.

Confusion written on his features, Hiro walked up to the monitor, stopping in front of the computer terminal attached to it. Hitting a button, the screen change, sectioning itself off into nine squares, each labeled with a different video feed. Each of the feeds was dark except the one in the top center, labeled "Control Room."

The feed displayed a single static image of the room they were standing in, though now fully lit and filled with people. Men and women dressed in lab coats sat at the computer terminals while others dressed in business wear and Army uniforms stood behind them. The image prominently displayed Alistair Krei leaning over one of the computer terminals, a troubled look on his face. Behind him stood an older man in an Army uniform festooned with medals with grey hair and chiseled features.

"Krei," Hiro muttered before he hit another button on the terminal. Immediately, the rewind symbol appeared at the center of the screen as the feed began to rewind. As it did, the eight video feeds sprung to life, images flashing across the screen as they reversed rapidly as well. After a moment, Hiro hit another button and the feed began to play.

The other video feeds now showed multiple angles of the room behind them, now brightly lit and containing two of the ring devices, each of them pristine and with glowing blue lights circling the center.

"That's right," Krei's voice said from over the speakers attached to the terminal as he walked into view on the central feed alongside the Army officer and his entourage, "We were asked to do the impossible. So, that's what we did."

"Using what we've learned from the alien technology, we've reinvented the very concept of transportation," Krei continued as he led the group to one of the rings, appearing on a feed marked "Portal Track 01", "Friends, I present Project Silent Sparrow."

As Krei spoke, the two rings suddenly sprung to life, letting out low pitched hums as fields of swirling blue and purple energy suddenly formed in each of the circles.

"General, may I?" Krei requested as he gestured to the officer's hat. Hesitantly, the general handed the hat to Krei, who promptly turned around and flung it into the energy field. The hat disappeared instantly before it suddenly came flying out of the field in the other ring, where it was caught by a waiting scientist, who waved it in the air excitedly as the others looked over at him.

"Whoa!" Fred exclaimed as the others watched the video with wide-eyed shock, "Magic hat!"

As they continued watching, the scientist turned towards the energy field and threw the hat in, causing it to reappear in front of Krei, who easily snagged it out of the air.

"Teleportation," Krei stated as he handed the hat back to the stunned general, "The transportation of matter instantly through space. Not science fiction anymore, though, what is these day?"

Krei began walking away from the portal as he spoke, prompting the others to follow him.

"Now, we didn't spend billions of tax dollars to teleport hats," Krei continued as he and the others entered the control room, where more scientists were hard at work at their terminals, "Ladies and gentlemen, you're here to witness history."

"Ready to go for a ride, Abigail?" Krei questioned after he had turned to one of the terminals and pushed a button.

At the same time, a woman appeared on a feed marked "Pod Cam," which seemed to be focused on the cockpit of some sort of vehicle, though Hiro noted that despite all the blinking lights and flashing displays, there didn't appear to be a control mechanism of any kind. The woman herself appeared to be in her late twenties with brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in what appeared to be an advanced spacesuit colored a pristine white.

"Well, we've invited all these people," the woman, Abigail, replied as she flicked a switch above her head, prompting the canopy she had crawled through to close, "Might as well give them a show."

"T-minus thirty seconds to launch," an automated voice announced before it began counting down as the other cameras revealed the vehicle Abigail had entered, a capsule of some kind, slide into place in front of one of the rings.

"Capsule's in position," one of the scientists stated as Oh let out a small gasp of fear. Turning towards the Boov, Hiro saw that he had turned a bright shade of yellow and was covering his mouth in shock.

"Sir," the scientist sitting in front of Krei spoke up as he looked over his shoulder at the man, bringing Hiro's attention back to the video feeds, "We've picked up a slight irregularity in the magnetic containment field."

"Huh," Krei mused as he leaned down to get a better look at the scientist's screen before glancing back at the general.

"Mr. Krei, is there a problem?" the general questioned, his voice so rough that the only thing Hiro could compare it to was two rocks grinding against one another.

"No, no problem, General Monger," Krei answered with a reassuring smile before giving the scientist a pointed look, "It's well within the parameters. Let's move forward."

By that time, the countdown had almost reached zero.

"Cabin pressure is go," one of the scientists announced, "All systems green."

"Pod engaged," the automated voice stated as it finished the countdown.

"I do not wants to be viewing this," Oh whispered as he covered his eyes with his hands.

On the screen, the pod was shot forward via the belt system it was attached to, rocketing forward until it disappeared into the portal, the shimmering purple-blue energy rippling like water as it passed through, the video feed showing the cockpit going dark as it did so.

There was a pause as everyone looked expectantly at the other portal, but after a few agonizing moments, nothing happened.

"What's going on, Krei?" General Monger questioned as he glanced between Krei and the second portal as the first one abruptly flickered and died, "Where is the pod?"

"I….I don't…." Krei tried to answer, his expression a mixture between confusion and panic, "I-I'm….I'm not…."

"Sir!" one of the scientist suddenly called out, "We're picking up audio and visual!"

"Get it on the screens and speakers!" Krei ordered as the video feed showing the pod cockpit suddenly sprung back to life, through the feed was interrupted every few seconds by a burst of static. The feed showed Abigail looking around in dazed confusion, the only illumination provided by the pod's displays.

"H-Hello?" Abigail questioned with a cough, her voice laced with pain and dazed confusion, an undercurrent of buzzing static running in the background, "Does….Does anyone read me?"

"We read you, Abigail!" Krei answered quickly as the scientists began rapidly inputting commands into their terminals.

"Wh-What happened?" Abigail asked as she began glancing around, "W-Where am I?"

"We're….We're not sure yet," Krei replied, "Can you tell me what happened on your end?"

"I...I'm not sure," Abigail admitted as she seemed to start recovering her wits, "I went through the portal and the pod crashed…."

"Crashed?" Monger questioned in confusion.

"Abigail, are you saying the pod has landed on something solid?" Krei inquired.

"Yeah," Abigail confirmed as she looked around some more, "It seems like I'm in some sort of cavern or-"

Abigail's voice abruptly broke off as she let out a shocked gasp.

"Abigail!?" Krei asked quickly, his tone rising with panic, "What is it!? What's wrong!?"

"It….It's not a cavern," Abigail answered as she looked around in surprise, "It's a chamber….a room."

"A room?" Krei questioned in confusion, "You mean you're somewhere man-made?"

"It's artifical, if that's what you're asking," Abigail replied, "Because, wherever I am, it's definitely not man-made."

"Mother of God," Monger whispered in shock as the blood drained out of Krei's face.

"Wait," Abigail said as she did her best to turn around in her seat and look at what was behind the pod, "I can….I can see the portal!"

"Yes, we still have one of the portals open on our end," Krei replied, "Now, just sit tight Abigail and we'll….Abigail, what are you doing?"

"It's only a dozen or so yards away," Abigail explained as she unfastened her harness and began pushing buttons around the cockpit, "I should be able to get to it without any trouble."

"No, we have no idea what the atmosphere around you is like," Krei argued, "The pod might be the only thing keeping you alive right now. To say nothing about how we don't know if it's safe for an unprotected person to travel through the portal yet."

"Look, Krei," Abigail snapped as she looked directly into the cockpit camera, "There's no way we're getting this pod back through the portal. We don't even know how long we have until you can't keep the portal open anymore. And I'll be damned if you're going to risk someone else's life by sending them in after-"

Abigail abruptly cut herself off as she looked at something above the camera and let out a surprised yelp.

"Abigail!?" Krei questioned, his voice edged with fear again, "What's wrong?"

"Th-There's a-" Abigail started to say before she let out another startled gasp as she glanced to multiple directions, pushing herself back into her seat as far as she could, "There's more of them."

"More?" Krei questioned in confusion, "More of…."

Krei trailed off as he face turned ashen, his eyes focused on the screen in front of him. On the feed for the cockpit camera, just behind Abigail, a figure could be seen pressing its face against the canopy.

"Is…." Krei trailed off and gulped before continuing, "Is that a…."

"An alien," Monger all but growled, his posture becoming rigid.

"That's not any alien," Fred whispered in shock as all of them recognized the broad, square head, noseless face and curled up tentacles in the place of ears.

"That's a Boov," Hiro finished, his eyes wide as he turned them toward Oh, only to find that the alien had covered his ears with his hands while squeezing his eyes shut.

"What are these things!?" Abigail demanded, fear filtering into her voice as she tried to look in every direction at once.

Suddenly, a loud, rumbling roar came from over the loudspeaker, causing Abigail to freeze in place as the Boov scattered from sight.

"What was that?" Abigail questioned, her voice a frightened whisper as a rhythmic thumping began to grow louder and louder, "Something's coming."

"Abigail, hold-" Krei began to say but was cut off as a loud alarm suddenly went off.

"What is that?" Monger demanded.

"Sir, we're losing containment on the other portal!" one of the scientists reported.

Looking at the video feed showing the portal, the group could see that the machine was starting to shake and glow with heat as the energy field within it began to flicker.

"Abigail!" Krei shouted, "If you're going to move, do it now! The portal is collapsing!"

Her eyes widening, Abigail quickly began fiddling with the controls inside the cockpit, all while the thumping sound grew louder and louder. As Abigail flicked a switch on one of the panels, causing the pod to let out a hissing noise before the canopy opened back up. As Abigail began to crawl out of the pod, another thunderous roar, much closer than the first, came from somewhere just out of the camera's view. In response, Abigail let out a scream of terror and clambered out of the pod disappearing from sight.

As she did, another roar came from off screen before something slammed into the pod, jostling it and knocking it onto its side. As the pod fell, the camera came loose and began to hang slightly askew. The new angle allowed the camera to look out of the cockpit across what looked like a large, dark chamber with a metal floor, partially illuminated by the glowing blue portal at the far end. Here and there, Hiro could make out pillars rising up out of the floor, each with some form of object resting on top of it.

The feed also showed Abigail racing across the room, glancing behind her fearfully as something large moved through the shadows after her. As she ran, a pair of Boov suddenly scuttled in front of her. As she had been looking over her shoulder, Abigail did not see the aliens and slammed into them. As Abigail lost her footing, she fell to the floor and rolled into one of pillars, knocking it over and sending the item sitting on top of it, a ovoid stone, skipping across the metal floor.

The aliens froze in place as they watched the stone bounce before it took a hop right through the portal. Glancing at a different feed, Hiro could see the object come falling out of the portal and land on the floor in front of the portal. At the same time, the portal continued to flicker while the machine containing it glowed red hot.

The monster in the shadows let out another roar before pointing at the flickering portal and shouting something a guttural tongue that Hiro had never heard before. Immediately, the two Boov hopped to their feet and raced towards the portal, Abigail following after them. She was stopped though as the shadowed creature reached out with a long and sinuous arm, which wrapped around Abigail's ankle and yanked her from her feet. Abigail let out a wail of fear before she and the creature disappeared from view.

There was a moment of stunned, terrified silence in the control room as everyone stared at the now silent videofeed.

"Mother of God," Monger whispered in horror.

"Quick!" Krei called out, "Somebody-"

"Sir!" one of the scientists interrupted him, "The portal is-"

Before the scientist could finish, the ring holding open the portal suddenly exploded into a fireball that sent debris flying in all directions, including tearing large chunks out of the other ring. As the shock wave from the blast passed, everyone slowly turned to look at the rings, only to find nothing but debris as the smoke cleared. Glancing down at the terminal, Krei saw that the feed from the cockpit camera had died.

"...Abigail?" Krei called out quietly, "Abigail, do you-"

He stopped as Monger laid a hand on his shoulder.

"She's gone, Krei," Monger stated firmly.

Krei's face fell at the words as Monger's expression turned hard and he swept his gaze around the control room.

"I want a quarantine on this place!" Monger ordered, "Nobody comes in or out!"

There was a stunned silence as everyone stared at him.

"I mean now!" Monger barked sharply, causing everyone to spring into action, "Now, damnit, now!"

At that point, Hiro paused the video and turned to look at the others with wide eyes.

"What did we just watch?" Hiro questioned before turning his attention towards Oh, "Oh, what was that? Is that how you got here?"

"I justs wanted to escapses," Oh replied, still keeping his eyes tightly closed while shaking his head, "I justs wanted to be frees."

"Free?" Wasabi questioned in confusion, "Free from what? Oh, what are you talking about?"

"What are you all doing here?" a voice from behind them suddenly asked, prompting the group to spin around, weapons at the ready, only to find Alistair Krei standing in the doorway behind them. The man did not look as well put together as usually did, with his normally coiffed hair mussed and his expensive closed askew and wrinkled.

"Krei?" Hiro questioned in confusion before his eyes narrowed, "So, it was you!"

"What?" Krei questioned in confusion, growing more agitated as he spoke, "What are you talking about? You can't be here."

"Don't bother trying to play dumb," Hiro retorted angrily as he marched up to Krei and pointed an accusatory finger at the man, "We know-"

Krei interrupted him by reaching down and grabbed Hiro by the shoulders while bringing his face close to the boy's, his eyes wide with fear.

"You have to get out of here!" Krei whispered harshly, his eyes darting in every direction, "You don't understand! They could come back at-"

Krei abruptly froze and fell silent as his eyes fell on Oh.

"What is that thing doing here?" Krei questioned before his voice became hot, "You're working with them, aren't you!? That's how he was able to get your microbots!"

"W-What are you talking about?" Hiro questioned, suddenly confused.

"You….You don't know?" Krei asked, equally bewildered as his eyes darted between Oh and Hiro, "You don't know about the other one?"

"Other one?" Go Go questioned in confusion, "What other one?"

"I am thinkings I can be explainings," a new voice said from behind the group. Spinning around, the group found another Boov, this one dressed in an orange version of Oh's outfit, standing a short distance away from them. He looked similar to Oh, though the tentacles on the sides of his head reached upwards like horns and small tentacles grew above his upper lip, making it seem as though he had a mustache. What caught everyone's attention though was the shotgun he had leveled at them.

"I believes he is referings to me," the Boov finished with a wicked grin as he cocked the gun with an ominous clack.

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, but, as usual, life got in the way. Hope you all enjoyed this one though, I had a lot of fun putting an original spin on the proceedings. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	26. Arrival

**Chapter 26: Arrival**

"Whoa," Go Go said quietly as the others slowly raised their hands, eyes wide, "Easy now."

"I am thinkings you should bees the one being easy," the other Boov stated as he pointed the gun at Go Go, causing her to flinch away reflexively. As he did, the Boov glanced around, pausing as his eyes fell on Oh.

"Oh?" the Boov questioned, the sight of the broad smile spreading across his features sending a chill down Hiro's spine, "Is that beings yous? I had been wonderings where you had gotten offs too."

"You know this guy, Oh?" Hiro questioned as he glanced down at the Boov, who was looking at his fellow alien with an expression bordering between terror and nausea.

"Yes," Oh replied after a moment with a small nod of his head, "Yes, I am knowings him."

"Who is he?" Honey questioned, carefully glancing between Oh and the other Boov.

"Please," the other Boov spoke up, bringing all their attentions back to him, "Be allowing me to introduce myselves. I am Captain Smek, the great leader of the Boov."

There was a pause as the group glanced at one another.

"You're the leader of the Boov?" Wasabi questioned.

"Yes," the Boov, Smek, replied, looking perplexed as he gestured at the group with the shotgun, causing everyone to flinch away from him, "Why are you having these confused expressions? Are you not believings me?"

There was another pause as the group glanced at one another.

"I think we figured you'd be taller," Fred replied with a shrug.

"I am tallest Boov," Smek argued defensively.

"I'm sure you are," Go Go commented dryly as her eyes narrowed, "You know, I'm starting to think you don't even know how to use that-"

Before Go Go could finish, Smek pointed the shotgun upwards and pulled the trigger. The gun roared as it went off, the sound deafening within the confines of the room, causing the group to duck and cover their ears. The slug fired from the shotgun's barrel slammed into the ceiling, destroying some of the panels above and knocking others loose, creating a shower of debris that fell behind Smek.

"You were sayings?" Smek questioned as he pointed the shotgun at Go Go, cocking it as he did.

"O-Okay," Hiro said, his voice quavering as he and the others slowly stood straight again, "Okay, so you know how the gun works. Th-That's cool."

"It is," Smek replied with a dangerous grin before he turned his attention towards Krei, who was doing his best not to be noticed, "You. Is everything prepared?"

"Look, this….this isn't just something you can jury rig in an afternoon," Krei replied, his voice shaky, "I have no idea if this will-"

Krei's words suddenly died in his throat as Smek leveled the shotgun at him.

"Is. Everything. Prepared?" Smek questioned dangerously.

"God, I hope so," Krei replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Ah, you humans are amusings to me," Smek chuckled as lowered the shotgun while shaking his head, "Always you are claimings to be beings of logic but yous still cling to your superstitions."

"So, now what are you going to do?" Wasabi questioned.

"Well, I could be telling yous," Smek answered with a shrug as he pointed the shotgun at the others, "But it would not be mattering, because you will all be being deads soon."

"So, that's it?" Honey questioned, her face going pale, "You're just going to kill us?"

"Me? Nos," Smek replied with a shake of his head before he indicated towards something behind with the shotgun, "He might those."

The group looked at Smek in confusion while Baymax turned around and looked behind them.

"Oh no," Baymax stated a second before the windows looking out at the gates suddenly shattered and tendrils of microbots broke in, wrapped themselves around every member of the group except Oh before yanking them out of the control room. Everyone let out cries of surprise and fear as they were pulled off their feet and flung through the air before slamming against one of the concrete walls and falling a short distance to one of metal catwalk below.

Slowly uncovering his head, Oh glanced around at the control room, only to find Smek aiming the shotgun at him.

"Come, Oh," Smek said with a grin as he gestured for the Boov to stand with his shotgun, "I am wishing you to helps me."

"Helps you?" Oh questioned as he slowly stood up, "Helps you with what?"

"With completing our mission, of course," Smek answered before he turned his attention towards Krei, who was slowly picking himself up off the ground as well, "On your feets, human. It is time to be turning ons the machine."

"What?" Krei questioned in shock as he glanced at the shattered window, "Now?"

"Are we having a failure to communicate?" Smek questioned dangerously as he turned the shotgun towards Krei.

"N-No, no. we're not," Krei answered quickly, holding his hands up in a placating gesture, "I'm….I'm just not sure the machine is ready yet. I-I'm just one man after all."

"I will be hopings it is workings," Smek replied with a sinister tone, "For your sakes."

Groaning, Hiro quickly picked himself up along with the others. Looking up as he stood, Hiro felt a chill run down his spine as he saw Yokai held aloft by his swarm of microbots before them.

"So, it's not Krei?" Fred asked, confusion lacing his voice.

"Guess not," Wasabi answered as he rolled one of his shoulders.

"Who is it then?" Honey questioned.

"Does it matter?" Go Go asked, "We're taking him down regardless."

"Remember, go for the mask," Hiro stated as he glanced at the others, "That's what he's using to control the microbots."

As Hiro spoke, Yokai suddenly made a downward slashing movement with his hand, causing a tendril of microbots to form and swing down at the group. Quickly stepping forward, Baymax pushed the other out of the way, before crossing his arms in front of himself and taking the brunt of the impact. The tendril of microbots slammed Baymax onto his back with enough force that the section of catwalk he was on broke away from under him with a screech, sending the robot plummeting to the cement floor below.

"Baymax!" Hiro called after the robot as he looked down through the hole in the catwalk, careful not to fall in after him.

"What's the plan!?" Wasabi questioned as he looked around at the others.

"It's Fred time," Fred replied cockily before stepping forward and leaping into the air, "Super Jump!"

Fred's suit sent him soaring into the air, almost causing him to bump his head on the high ceiling before he began falling towards Yokai.

"Gravity Crush!" Fred roared as he turned his body towards Yokai and spread his limbs wide in an attempt to body slam the masked man. In reply, Yokai flicked a wrist in Fred's direction, causing a column of microbots to suddenly spring up and slam into Fred, knocking him to the side.

"Seriously, what's the plan!?" Wasabi questioned again.

"Get the mask," Go Go responded as she slid the disks on her feet into place and began moving forward.

"Right behind you," Honey stated, with a look of determination on her face.

"That's not a plan!" Wasabi exclaimed, nearing panic as he watched the others go.

Hopping off of the catwalk, Go Go landed upon a piece of mechanical debris and began grinding along it towards Yokai. As she approached him, Go Go hurled one of her disks at Yokai, who managed to duck out of the way of the attack before thrusting a column of microbots at the young woman. Go Go managed to dodge the attack by leaping into the air, catching her disk midair before she landed on another piece of debris and began grinding away from Yokai.

As she reached the end of the rail she was grinding on, Go Go leapt off and began gliding her way down one of the smooth, concrete walls, dodging two more attacks from Yokai as she went. Reaching the floor, Go Go quickly spun in place to build up momentum before hurling one of her disks at Yokai, striking the masked man square in the face. While Yokai was stunned by the blow, Go Go began speeding towards the part of the room beneath the observation room, catching her returning disk as the masked man chased after her.

As Go Go led Yokai away, the patchwork ring suddenly began to hum with power prompting Wasabi to turn back towards it and look at the device in confusion.

"Um, guys?" Wasabi questioned, but when he turned towards the others, he saw that everyone else was occupied with fighting Yokai, even as sparks began to shoot off from the ring.

While Go Go kept Yokai occupied, Honey hurried up to the edge of the catwalk before dropping one of her chem-balls of the side. As it hit the ground, the chem-ball broke and the chemicals within it quickly expanded into a wad of turquoise-colored goop. Stepping off of the catwalk, Honey fell onto the wad, which easily caught her and bounced her back to her feet.

Quickly following after Go Go and Yokai, Honey ducked behind one of the pillars supporting the observation room above, keeping out of sight as the other two continued to exchange attacks. Nervously inputting a chemical sequence onto her bag's screen, Honey took the blue chem-ball it produced and waited for an opportunity.

Meanwhile, Go Go continued to duck and dodge around the metal pillars that surrounded them, desperately trying to stay one step ahead of Yokai and create an opportunity to counterattack. Rushing towards one of the walls, Go Go leapt up against it and used her momentum to carry her upwards. Reaching her apex, Go Go pushed off the wall and spun midair before hurling one of her disks at Yokai.

Seeing the attack coming, Yokai dodged to the side, allowing the disk to go sailing past him and instead strike Honey just as she stepped out from her hiding place to throw her chem-ball. The unexpected blow caused Honey's attack to go wide around Yokai, the chem-ball smashing against the floor near where Go Go was landing. As the chem-ball released its contents, the floor was rapidly covered in a thick sheet of ice. As Go Go landed, the disks on her feet failed to grab any traction on the now slick floor, causing her to fall and go sliding across the ground towards Honey. Stunned by the blow she took to the head, Honey didn't see Go Go coming until the young woman slid into her legs and knocked her to the ground.

Seeing his opponents laying on the ground, Yokai squared his shoulders and urged his microbots forward as the humming from the ring device above him continued to grow louder and the sparks coming off of it became more intense.

"Hey!" a voice called out from behind Yokai, causing the masked man to stop and turn around, finding Wasabi standing a few yards away.

"Uh, y-you want to dance, masked man?" Wasabi questioned, trying to sound confident, despite his fear, "'Cause you'll be dancing with these."

Wasabi snapped his plasma blades on as he spoke.

"Hand over the mask," Wasabi demanded as he began waving his arms about in a threatening manner, "Or you'll get a taste of this!"

Yokai wordlessly replied by creating two dozen microbot tendrils and thrusting them at Wasabi. Letting out a cry of fear, Wasabi began slashing his arms threw the air in an effort to fend off the attacks. As he did, the plasma blades easily sliced through the microbots, splitting some of them in half and scattering others across the floor as they are separated from the main mass.

After a few furious seconds of self-defense, the attacks stopped and Wasabi found himself unharmed.

"Hey! I did alright!" Wasabi said with a surprised chuckle, before giving Yokai a cocky grin, "That all you got?"

As Wasabi spoke, he suddenly felt something tighten around his feet. Glancing down, Wasabi saw that the microbots he had knocked away from the rest of the mass had reformed as a thin sheet on the ground that had wrapped around the young man's feet.

"Oh," Wasabi stated in surprise, "You got that too?"

Yokai replied by motioning with one hand, causing the mass of microbot to spring up and toss Wasabi to the side. As Wasabi flew threw the air, Fred, having recovered from his fall, came rushing forward, prepared to attack Yokai. Before he could reach the masked man though, Wasabi crashed into Fred, knocking both of them to the ground. As they rolled across the ground, they slammed into Honey and Go Go as they were trying to recover, knocking them back to the floor, leaving all four in a tangled heap on the icy ground.

As the group tried to recover, Yokai slowly approached them, forming a large block out of microbots and lifting it menacingly into the air above them.

Before he could slam it down on the group though, Baymax came roaring down towards Yokai with his jet boots, Hiro riding on his back. Glancing up towards them, Yokai managed to dodge out of the way as Baymax zoomed past while Hiro attempted to grab the criminal's mask.

As Hiro and Baymax banked through the air, Yokai turned and tracked their path. As Hiro and Baymax moved to approach him again, Yokai thrust his hand towards them, causing a column of microbots to thrust towards them. Banking to the side, Baymax was able to avoid the attack before doing a barrel roll to dodge the following three. As the two rapidly approached him, Yokai thrust his fist in their direction, creating a column of microbots that surged forward and smashed into Baymax, knocking the android back and sending Hiro flying off of his back and slamming into the masked man.

The blow was strong enough to knock Yokai off his tower of microbots and both he and Hiro fell to the metal floor in a tangle of limbs. As they tumbled across the ground, Yokai's mask was knocked from his face and went skidding across the floor. As soon as the mask was removed, the column of microbots hovering over the others suddenly collapsed, showering them in the miniature machines.

At the same time, an energy field suddenly sprang to life within the confines of the mechanical ring, sparks flying off it wildly as it did.

"Yes!" Smek's ecstatic voice echoed faintly across the room, "It is workings!"

"I don't know how long I can keep it open for," Krei stated, "The power couplings are already failing!"

"You'll keeps it open as much as is being needed!" Smek shouted back.

Slowly pushing his himself up to his hands and knees, Hiro blinked a few times and shook his head in an effort to clear it. As he did, he noticed Yokai's mask laying a few feet away from him, while the man himself lay further away with his back to Hiro. Reacting quickly, Hiro reached out and grabbed the mask before pulling it protectively to his chest, his eyes trained on Yokai the whole time.

"It's over," Hiro stated as he stood up the others watching from behind him, "Who….whoever you are, it's over."

As Hiro spoke, Yokai slowly stood up, groaning as he did. Once he was back on his feet, Yokai paused for a moment before turning to face Hiro.

And Hiro's heart skipped a beat as he looked into the eyes of a dead man.

"Pro-Professor Callaghan?" Hiro questioned in shock, his voice threatening to break as the others let out gasps of shock.

"B-But the explosion….." Hiro muttered in confusion, "Y-You died."

"No," Callaghan replied with a shake of his head, "I had your microbots."

"But, Tadashi…." Hiro mumbled, his mind racing with dozens of thoughts and emotions, "Did you just let him die?"

Callaghan glanced away, a look of sadness on his features.

"I didn't intend for that," Callaghan said, his voice barely above a whisper, "I….I never wanted that."

"It doesn't matter what you wanted, he's dead!" Hiro snapped, angry tears brimming in his eyes.

Pain and grief flashed across Callaghan's features for a brief second before it hardened and he met Hiro's gaze again with a cold glare.

"Give me the mask, Hiro," Callaghan demanded as he held his hand out to the boy.

"H-How could you do this!?" Hiro practically screamed, "To Tadashi!? To me!?"

"You don't understand," Callaghan hissed, "Give me the mask."

"We trusted you!" Hiro continued.

"The mask, Hiro!" Callaghan pressed, clearly becoming more angry.

"He went in there to save you!" Hiro shouted.

"That was his mistake!" Callaghan snapped back.

As the other's let out gasps of shock and Honey's legs briefly faulted from under her, Baymax descended from the air and landed behind Hiro. As Baymax touched down, Hiro's eyes narrowed in rage.

"Uh, guys," Fred muttered in shock, the only one looking away from the action happening before them.

"Baymax," Hiro stated, never taking his eyes from Callaghan, "Destroy."

"Guys?" Fred said a little more loudly, though the others continued to ignore him.

Callaghan blinked in surprise before glancing quickly between Hiro and Baymax.

"Guys!" Fred snapped, finally catching Go Go's attention.

"What is it, Fred!?" Go Go snapped in frustration.

"I think something is coming through the portal," Fred stated as he pointed up at the portal ring sitting above them, prompting the others to look up as well.

"My programing prevents me from harming a human being," Baymax stated as he looked down at Hiro.

"Not anymore," Hiro stated as he turned around and tapped on Baymax's chest, opening the compartment that contained the android's data chips before removing the green data chip containing the robot's medical knowledge and tossing it away, sending it skidding across the floor.

"Hiro, this is not…." Baymax began to say but stopped as Hiro reached up and slammed the chip port shut, causing the android to stop mid-word. Silently, Baymax straightened up before the lenses in his eyes narrowed and his optical cameras began glowing red.

"Do it, Baymax!" Hiro roared as Callaghan began cautiously backing away from the android, "Destroy him!"

"Hiro!" Honey suddenly shouted, "Look out!"

At Hiro's order, Baymax raised his fist and pointed it at Callaghan before launching it at the man. As he did, a massive figure dropped from the platform above and landed hard on the floor between Baymax and Callaghan. Swiping with one of its limbs, the figure easily batted Baymax's rocket fist aside, sending it clattering across the floor before it righted itself and flew back to the android's outstretched hand.

A shocked silence fell over the room as everyone stared at the massive figure before them, broken only by the hum of the machine above them and the sparks of electricity coming off it. The figure stood as tall as Baymax, though was slightly more slender than the android and was a dark grey in color with hints of orange at its extremities. While, at first glance, the creature appeared humanoid, closer inspection revealed that each of its four limbs and its head were tentacles extending from its central mass, making it look like a monstrous starfish. Two glowing, orange eyes glared at Baymax from the approximation of the creature's face, which was circled by plates of orange, chitinous armor. Spikes sprouted from the creature's shoulders and upper back, upon which dozens of skulls of various sizes and shapes had been impaled.

"Behold!" Smeks voice called out in almost orgasmic joy, "The Master is before us! Behold, your demise and the taker of all things! Behold, the Gorg!"

At the announcement, the creature, the Gorg, roared, revealing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth and charged.

A/N: Hey guys, long time, no see! Sorry for the delay, and all I can really say is that life gets in the way sometimes. Still, I should be back on track, so expect more updates in the near future! This chapter was a lot of fun, because this was a reveal I was excited to do. Hope you guys liked it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	27. Destroyer

**Chapter 27: Destroyer**

The chime above the door to the sushi shop chimed as Riley and Tip entered, announcing their presence to the mostly empty restaurant.

" _Irasshaimase_ ," Takahito greeted from the kitchen, preoccupied with cleaning a set of knives, "Sorry, but we are about to close. I have to-"

Takahito paused as he looked up from his work to find Riley and Tip standing before him.

"Good evening, Takahito- _sensei_ ," Riley greeted while bowing to the man.

"Uh, yeah," Tip added as she awkwardly copied Riley's bow, "Good evening."

"Riley," Takahito said as he nodded at Riley and smiled before turning his attention towards Tip, "And your name was Tip, correct?"

"Um, yes," Tip confirmed with a nod.

"What brings you two to my restaurant by yourselves?" Takahito questioned, "I was under the impression you lived some distance from here."

"We, uh, we do," Tip answered, "But we were in the neighborhood and wanted to stop in to grab a bite to eat."

Takahito was silent for a moment as he studied Tip's face before he slowly turned his gaze back towards Riley.

"Is that true?" Takahito inquired.

"Y-Yes, _sensei_ ," Riley replied, averting her eyes from his gaze as she spoke.

" _I think he's on to us!_ " Fear hissed.

" _On to what?_ " Anger grumbled, " _We did come in here to get something to eat, you nitwit_."

" _I think what Fear is trying to say is that sensei knows something is wrong_ ," Sadness explained.

Takahito was quiet for another long moment before he relented.

"Very well," Takahito said, "I suppose I can cook you two up something quick."

"Where is everybody anyway?" Tip questioned as she and Riley took seats at the counter, "Isn't it a little early to be closing up shop?"

"The cooks and I are having a celebration," Takahito explained as he began preparing some food for them, "One of them just graduated from community college. He's forty years old."

"That's great!" Riley stated with a smile.

"Indeed," Takahito agreed, nodding as he worked, "In fact, Darron helped him with his studies. He was supposed to be here tonight. Do you two know anything about that?"

The girls fell quiet as they glanced at one another.

" _Alright, so, we should probably avoid talking about that_ ," Joy commented.

"He was busy," Tip explained.

"Is what he's busy with related to what's troubling you?" Takahito questioned as he put a pair of plates with food before the girls.

"There's nothing-" Riley began to argue but stopped as Takahito raised a hand to quiet her.

"Please, do not lie to me, my student," Takahito stated, "You might be good at finding the feelings in others but you are no good at hiding your own."

" _...What does that mean?_ " Disgust questioned in confusion.

" _I think he's trying to say we're bad at being truthful to yourselves,_ " Sadness elaborated with a sigh, " _He's right, it's one of our flaws._ "

"...I'm not sure you'd believe us even if we did tell you, _sensei_ ," Riley replied.

"You have the power to sense others' emotions, Riley," Takahito countered, "I believe I am capable of handling anything you could tell me."

Riley glanced over at Tip, who gave the other girl a helpless shrug, prompting her to sigh in defeat.

"You might want to have a seat then, _sensei_ ," Riley stated, "This story might take a little while."

Riley then spent the next few minutes explaining what had been happening the last few days in between bites of her food.

"So, when your friends were finally prepared to go fight this Yokai, they chose to leave you behind, for fear of your safety," Takahito surmised as the girls finished their food, pointing at Tip as he continued, "And you decided to leave with her."

"That's the gist of it, yeah," Tip confirmed with a nod.

"So, what do you think, _sensei_?" Riley questioned.

"I think your friends had your best interest at heart," Takahito answered.

"What!?" Tip snapped in surprise, "Come on, man _,_ you can't really believe that!"

"I believe that the both of you are twelve year old girls with no combat experience," Takahito argued.

" _He's got a point,_ " Joy muttered.

"She's the only one with superpowers!" Tip shot back, slapping her hands on the table and sitting up straighter as her anger began to rise.

" _So does she,_ " Disgust argued.

"My powers once left me practically catatonic," Riley pointed out as she looked down at her empty plate.

" _So do we_ ," Sadness added.

The response caused Tip to waver as she slouched in her seat again.

"Riley….." Tip began to say but her words failed her.

"Maybe….maybe they're right, Tip," Riley sighed, "Maybe I am a liability. Maybe it's better that I didn't go."

"Riley, Tadashi was your friend too," Tip stated, her look saddened, "You have as much a right to help take Yokai down as any of the others do."

"This is true," Takahito relented with a nod.

"...Wait, what?" Tip questioned in confusion, completely thrown off by the response.

"What you say is true," Takahito repeated, "Both of you have just as much right to bring Tadashi's killer to justice as the others."

"But you just said that I was unprepared," Riley pointed out, confused as well.

"You are," Takahito agreed with a nod, "But so are they."

There was a pause as Tip and Riley glanced at one another in confusion.

" _Alright, you've lost me,_ " Anger grumbled.

"I'm sorry, _sensei_ ," Riley said as she looked back at Takahito, "I don't think we understand what you're getting at."

"You are unprepared for the challenge that lays before you but so are your friends," Takahito explained, "It is good of them to worry about you but it does not give them the right to make your decisions for you."

"But what if they were right," Riley questioned, her confidence faltering, "What if my powers are a liability?"

"Perhaps they are," Takahito relented with a shrug, "Perhaps they aren't. The fact of the matter is that none of us know, not even you. And if that's true, you are only really as much a liability as the rest of them."

Takahito leaned down closer to Riley and looked directly into her eyes as he continued.

"None of you are prepared," Takahito continued, "But one is hardly ever prepared for the challenges life throws at them, to say nothing of masked men who control swarms of robots with their mind. All that matters is that you have the strength to meet these challenges with courage and dignity, a strength I know you possess."

" _Wow_ ," Joy said with a tone of awe.

A small smile graced Riley's features and she glanced away from Takahito.

"Thank you, _sensei_ ," Riley said with a slight bow of her head.

"Not that it does a lot of good," Tip added with a sigh, "The whole thing is almost over anyway."

"I would not be so sure," Takahito stated.

"What makes you say that, _sensei_?" Riley questioned.

"I don't know for sure, but something tells me that this is far from over," Takahito clarified.

" _Uh guys_ ," Fear spoke up with a hesitant tone, " _I think I'm getting-_ "

Suddenly, Riley felt a sudden, intense rush of emotions so powerful they caused her to double over while clutching the sides of her head.

"Riley!" Tip cried out in surprise as Takahito quickly rounded the table and stood at the girl's side, "What's wrong!?"

"It's….it's Hiro," Riley hissed through her clenched teeth, "Something….Something's wrong. There's so many emotions. Sorrow, fear….rage."

"You have to breathe, Riley," Takahito said as he laid a hand on her shoulder, "Remember what I taught you."

"Okay," Riley said as she took a few deep, calming breaths, "Okay….I think I'm okay."

"What was that about?" Tip inquired with a worried expression.

"I think….I think something is wrong with Hiro and the others," Riley said as she stood up from her chair, "I think we need to go."

"Go?" Tip questioned as she stood up as well, "Go where?"

"Last I checked you were still the only person who could fly Wasabi's van," Riley answered.

Tip blew out a slow breath at that and Riley felt a wave of trepidation flow off her friend.

"Alright," she said with a small smile and a shake of her head, "In for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose."

" _That's my girl,_ " Joy said and Riley could practically hear the grin in her emotions voice.

Riley smiled at that before her expression suddenly turned into a frown and her brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Tip asked with concern.

"Hiro's leaving," Riley answered, her gaze distant.

"He is?" Tip questioned in confusion, "Should we go after him?"

"...No," Riley replied with a shake of her head, "I mean….I think it would be a good idea for you to go check out where they went."

"Me?" Tip inquired, quirking an eyebrow as she spoke, "Not us?"

"I'm going to go after Hiro," Riley answered.

"You think that's a good idea?" Tip asked, "Like you said, you felt a lot of anger coming off him."

"I know but….I don't know, I just feel like this is something I have to do," Riley replied as she ran a hand through her hair, "Does that make any sense?"

"No," Tip replied with a snort before she placed a hand on Riley's shoulder, "But a lot of what's happened doesn't make sense to me either. All I know is I've stuck with you this far, I don't see a reason to leave now."

"Thanks, Tip," Riley said as she pulled the other girl into a hug, which she gladly returned, "Be safe, okay?"

"You too," Tip replied as she pulled away before heading for the door. After watching Tip leave, Riley then turned her attention towards Takahito.

" _Sensei_ , do you have a car?" Riley questioned.

"I do," Takahito confirmed with a nod.

"Then I think I need you to take me somewhere," Riley stated solemnly.

 _A few minutes earlier,_

"Baymax!" Hiro shouted in sudden fear as the Gorg charged at him, its monstrous roar reverberating off the metal walls that surrounded them.

Reacting to Hiro's call, Baymax stepped in front of the boy in order to intercept the Gorg's charge. Roaring again, the Gorg slammed into Baymax with enough force to knock the android off his feet, forcing Hiro to scramble away as the robot was slammed onto its back by the alien. As the Gorg stood up, Baymax moved to rise as well but was stopped as the alien slammed its foot onto his chest, the force enough to dent the android's armor and his red eyes suddenly went dark.

"I can't keep the portal open any longer!" Krei shouted from the control room, "I'm shutting it down!"

As the Gorg kept its foot on Baymax's chest, it scanned the room with its glowing orange eyes, snarling to itself as it did. Eventually, its eyes settled on Hiro as the portal shut down above them, plunging the room into tense silence.

" _ **Klaatu barada nikto**_ **,** " the Gorg snarled, the alien words coming out mangled, as if the act of speaking was unnatural to it.

"W-What?" Hiro questioned, "Are….Are you trying to talk to me?"

" _ **Tam your**_ _ **nuj**_ **!** " the Gorg snapped, " _ **Your tuhom qeh me**_ **!** "

"I-I don't understand!" Hiro shouted back, his anger and confusion mixing, "I don't have time for this! Get off my robot or-!"

" _ **Silence!**_ " the Gorg roared, the force of his cry seeming to almost shake the walls. A shocked silence fell over the room which was interrupted by the Gorg letting out an amused chuckle, a sound that chilled Hiro to the bone.

" _ **Well, it's good to see that your prattling was useful**_ **,** " the Gorg snarled, " _ **My universal translator is finally calibrated to your primitive language.**_ "

"What the hell are you?" Hiro demanded.

" _ **Like my slave said, I am the Gorg, taker of all things,**_ " the alien answered.

"Taker of all things?" Hiro questioned in confusion, "What exactly have you come to take?"

" _ **Everything, as is mine by right,**_ " the Gorg answered as he glanced over at Callaghan, who was cowering behind it, " _ **But something in particular has drawn me to your primitive world. For that, I require this human**_ **.** "

"Abigail," Callaghan spoke up, "Where is-"

" _ **Silence!**_ " the Gorg growled dangerously, " _ **You will have what is yours when I have what is mine.**_ "

"You won't get it unless I have that!" Callaghan replied as he pointed at the mask Hiro was still carrying.

" _ **Very well**_ **,** " the Gorg relented as it turned its attention back towards Hiro and reached one of its tentacles towards the boy, " _ **Give me the device and I will not draw out your demise**_ **.** "

"What!?" Hiro snapped, "I don't care who you are, there's no way I'm giving you this mask and letting him walk away!"

" _ **And I suppose you are going to stop me?**_ " the Gorg questioned with a chuckle.

"No," Hiro replied while glancing down, "But he might."

At that, Baymax's eyes suddenly began to glow red again as the android reached up and grabbed the Gorg's leg. Before the Gorg could react, Baymax yanked the alien off of its feet while rising to his feet in a single smooth motion. Still grasping the Gorg's leg, Baymax lifted the alien into the air before slamming it onto its back, the cement floor cracking under the force of the blow.

"Baymax!" Hiro called, getting the android's attention before he pointed his finger at Callaghan, "Destroy Professor Callaghan!"

Baymax immediately turned his attention to Callaghan, raising his fist a second time as he prepared to attack.

"No!" Go Go shouted as she came speeding in from the robot's side and slamming her shoulder into the android's outstretched arm, causing his shot to go wide of Callaghan and slam into a concrete wall, the impact knocking the man off his feet as a chunk of the wall broke loose while cracks created a large spiderweb around the hole, "Baymax, stop!"

Baymax's response was to swat Go Go away with a backhand before holding his arm out so that his rocket fist could return to him. At the same time, Callaghan quickly scrambled to his feet in his attempt to scamper out of harm's way. Before he could get two feet though, something struck the floor in front of him, which quickly caused his feet to become encased in bone-chilling ice.

"There, Baymax!" Honey shouted, tears streaming down her face, "Get him now!"

As his fist locked back with the rest of his arm, Baymax aimed it at the now immobile Callaghan. Before he could fire though, Baymax found himself unprepared as the Gorg's tentacles wrapped around his shoulders before the alien lifted the android off his feet and slammed him face first against the concrete floor, creating even more cracks in the foundation. Quickly rolling onto Baymax's back, the Gorg wrapped its arm around the robot's head before slamming it into the floor, driving it a few inches into the concrete.

As Callaghan struggled to free himself, Fred leapt up and slammed his feet down on the ice holding him from above, shattering it and freeing the professor.

"What are you doing!?" Honey screamed at Fred as she ran over while Callaghan scrambled to safety, "He's getting away!"

"What am I doing!?" Fred asked incredulously as he pointed one of his clawed fingers at Honey, "What the hell are you doing!?"

"Baymax!" Hiro shouted, catching both of their attentions as he ran over to the robot and the Gorg, grabbing one of the alien's tentacles and trying to pull it off the android, "Baymax! You have to get up!"

" _ **You dare lay hands upon me, welp!?**_ " the Gorg snarled as it pulled its tentacle from Hiro's grasp before wrapping it around the boy's throat and pulling him off his feet, holding him aloft so that the two of them were eye to eye.

"Hiro!" Fred shouted, panic in his voice as he hurried away from Honey. The young woman watched Fred leave for a moment before her eyes fell to her feet, where she found a jagged piece of ice resting against her boot.

Hiro gagged as the Gorg's tentacle wrapped tightly around the boy's neck, cutting off his air supply.

"Let him go!" Fred demanded as he leapt forward and delivered a powerful kick to the side of the Gorg's head with one of his spring loaded feet. The force of the blow however was only enough to cause the Gorg to stumble back half a step, its glowing eyes turning towards Fred as the young man bounced off the alien and landed a few feet away.

" _ **As you wish,**_ " the Gorg snarled before he hurled Hiro at Fred. Fred was easily able to catch Hiro but the force of the throw caused the young man to slide back a few feet, his clawed feet scraping across the floor.

"You okay, Hiro?" Fred questioned as he placed the boy back on his feet.

"Yeah," Hiro replied through wracking coughs, "I'm fine."

"Alright, pal!" Fred declared, pointing a finger at the Gorg as the alien began to approach him, "I don't care if you're some kind of badass alien warlord. Nobody hurts my friends. Fire Breath!"

With that, Fred fired a stream of fire at the Gorg, completely engulfing the alien. At first, it seemed as though the flames had consumed the Gorg, but after a moment, the fire seemed to bulge as something moved through them. A second later, the Gorg's head poked out of the fire as it continued to approach Fred, the heat and the flames seemingly having no effect on it. Reaching Fred, the Gorg wrapped one of its tentacles around Fred's midsection, blocking the suit's mouth and cutting off the jet of flame. Fred let out a choked cough as the Gorg's grip tightened around his midsection and the alien lifted the young man into the air.

" _ **Is your kind truly so primitive you'd use something as base as fire against me!?**_ " the Gorg spat with contempt.

"How about something a little more high tech!" Wasabi called as he rushed at the Gorg from the side, before leaping at the alien with one of his plasma blades raised while letting out a loud warcy.

Seeing the young man coming, the Gorg raised its free tentacle-arm to defend itself from Wasabi's attack. As the plasma blade met the Gorg's tentacle, instead of slicing through, it came to an abrupt stop, cutting only an inch or so into the alien's arm. The sudden stop sent a jolt through Wasabi's arm and he stared at the point where his plasma blade met the Gorg's arm in shock.

"That….That's…." Wasabi mumbled, a look of utter surprise plastered upon his features.

" _ **Pathetic,**_ " the Gorg snarled before its tentacle arm snaked around Wasabi's own outstretched limb and gripped tightly. Barely exerting itself, the Gorg lifted Wasabi off his feet and spun both the young man and Fred about. Completing the spin, the Gorg hurled Fred and Wasabi through the air, sending them crashing into Hiro, causing all three to go rolling across the cement floor, Callaghan's mask slipping from the boy's fingers and skidding across the ground in the process.

" _ **Human!**_ " the Gorg bellowed towards Callaghan while pointing at the mask before turning his attention towards Baymax as the robot rose from the floor and moved to attack the alien.

Spotting the mask after the Gorg pointed it out to him, Callaghan rushed towards it. Before he could reach it, a scream of rage caused him to freeze in his tracks. Turning towards the source of the sound, Callaghan's eyes widened in fear as he found Honey charging at him, a jagged shard of ice clutched in her upraised hand. Callaghan reached up and grabbed Honey's arm before she could stab him with the ice shard, causing the young woman to slam into him and knock them both to the floor.

"Pamela, wait!" Callaghan pleaded as Honey rolled on top of him and attempted to stab him, the professor managing to stop her attack mere inches from his throat, "Y-You don't understand!"

"I understand plenty!" Honey screamed at him, tears welling up in her hate-filled eyes, "You killed Tadashi! I loved him! We trusted you! AND YOU MURDERED HIM!"

With a scream of rage, Honey pulled her arm from Callaghan's grasp before stabbing at him with the ice shard again. Before she could plunge the shard into Callaghan's neck, Honey was knocked to the side as Go Go tackled her. Both women grunted in pain as they rolled across the ground, ultimately ending with Go Go on top of Honey.

"Let go of it, Pamela!" Go Go shouted as she began hitting the hand that Honey was gripping the ice shard in against the floor, "Let! It! Go!"

Honey let out a cry of pain as Go Go hit her hand against the cement floor again, forcing her to drop the ice shard and send it skidding across the cement floor as Callaghan rose back to his feet and ran over to where his mask lay.

Metal screeched as the Gorg hurled Baymax through one of the support columns for the control room before he slammed into another one, bending it heavily. Baymax quickly tried to recover but the Gorg was already on him, leaping up and drop kicking Baymax with enough force to knock him through that support column as well, causing the ceiling above them to groan and shake ominously. Stepping up to Baymax as the robot tried to push himself to his feet, the Gorg wrapped its tentacles around the android's midsection before lifting him up, spinning him around and throwing him. Baymax sailed clear across the room, slamming into one of the concrete walls with enough force to knock chunks off of it while huge cracks crawled all the way to the ceiling.

"I've got it!" Callaghan called as he placed his mask back on his face, the thousands of microbots scattered around the room stirring to life.

" _ **Good,**_ " the Gorg replied as it stalked out from under the control room, which had begun to sag dangerously from the lack of proper support, " _ **Get the others and we shall depart this place.**_ "

As the Gorg finished speaking, it juked to one side to avoid the rocket fist Baymax shot at it before rolling to the other side to dodge the second. The fists continued flying forward after missing the Gorg, slamming into more of the support columns instead. The damage done to the columns proved to much for the structure to bear and the control room went crashing to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust and debris.

" _ **After I deal with this nuisance**_ **,** " the Gorg snarled as it stomped out of the dust cloud, its gaze locked on Baymax as it began rushing towards the robot.

Catching his rocket fist as it returned to him, Baymax took a swing as the Gorg came within reach, only for the alien to roll under the attack before popping back to its feet within the robot's guard. Wrapping its tentacles around Baymax's midsection, the Gorg twisted and wrenched the robot off his feet before suplexing him against the floor, the force of the blow leaving a massive dent in the ground while chunks from the cracked roof were shook free and sent tumbling down to the floor.

"The whole building is coming down!" Krei shouted from where he stood near the portal ring with Oh and Smek.

"Then I suggest we take our leave," Callaghan, now fully dressed as Yokai again, stated as he rose up to their level on a column of microbots.

"What?" Krei questioned as he took a fearful step away from Yokai, stopping only when he felt the barrel of Smek's shotgun press against his back, "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"You will bes going exactlys-" Smek began to say threateningly.

"Alright, stay if you'd like," Yokai stated, interrupting Smek as another crash shook the room, causing more chunks of masonry to fall from the ceiling, creating a gaping hole, "It makes no difference to me, Krei."

Krei glanced hesitantly between Yokai and the damaged ceiling before sighing in defeat and stepping up onto the column of microbots. Smek and Oh quickly followed, with Yokai looking at the latter with a curious head tilt.

"Who's the spare?" Yokai questioned.

"An associates of mine, he'll be helpings us with the rest of the plans," Smek explained as he turned towards Oh, shotgun still in hand, "Isn't that is being correct, Oh?"

"Y-Yes," Oh replied nervously, "That is being correct."

"Well, hurry up then," Yokai said as he motioned towards the portal ring with his hand, causing a huge wave of microbots to flow over to the device before lifting it out of its moorings.

Picking himself up, Hiro shook his now throbbing head clear before he looked up to find Yokai moving using the microbots to lift the others, the portal ring, and himself towards the hole in the ceiling.

"Baymax!" Hiro called over to the robot just as it finished tossing the Gorg to the side, before he pointed up at Yokai, "He's getting away! Destroy him!"

Looking where Hiro indicated, Baymax automatically raised his arm as he prepared to fire his fist at the retreating man.

"Stop!" Fred demanded as he leapt at Baymax and kicked the side of the robot's arm, throwing his shot off and causing the rocket fist to slam into the ceiling instead, knocking more of the ceiling down in the process.

Wordlessly, Baymax swatted Fred aside, sending the young man tumbling across the floor. After rolling to a stop, Fred began pushing himself back to his feet, blinking his eyes as he did. As he glanced around in an effort to reorientate himself, Fred's eyes fell on a green data chip laying nearby, his gaze focusing on the cartoon doctor drawn on the front. Leaning down, Fred picked the chip up with one of his clawed hands before turning his attention back towards Baymax.

After tossing Fred aside, Baymax raised his other fist and fired it at Yokai. The rocket fist only flew for a few feet though before one of the Gorg's tentacles suddenly wrapped around it. Using the rocket fists momentum, the Gorg spun, pulling the fist from its original course and slamming it directly into Baymax's face, the force of the blow sending the android reeling. By that point, the rockets of the fist had cut out, allowing the Gorg to swing it back the other way and strike Baymax again, sending the robot spinning to the floor.

Before Baymax could recover, the Gorg was upon him, standing above the robot and striking him again and again with the robot's own gauntlet. At that point, Baymax's other gauntlet had returned to him. Making a fist with the gauntlet, Baymax slammed it against the Gorg's midsection before activating its boosters, the force of the blow forcing the alien off him and sending it flying through the air while forcing it to drop the android's other gauntlet. The gauntlet carried the Gorg a short distance through the air and slammed the alien against one of the walls, knocking a sizeable section of the concrete loose and causing the whole room to shake.

As Baymax picked himself up, his other rocket fist returned to him, locking back with his armor. As it did, Baymax turned his attention back towards Yokai just as he was reaching the hole in the ceiling, ignoring the debris that fell around him.

"Do it, Baymax!" Hiro shouted, rage boiling in his voice, "Kill him!"

As Hiro spoke, Baymax was able to lock onto Yokai and prepared to fire. Before he could fire though, Baymax's red eyes suddenly changed back to their normal black color. Looking down, Baymax found Fred standing in front of him, the young man's hands pressed to the part of the robot's chest that contained his data drives. There was a pause as Baymax blinked and glanced around at the others as they gathered near him, apparently trying to process what had just happened.

"My healthcare protocols have been violated," Baymax stated with a tone that somehow sounded clinically detached and haunted at the same time, "I regret any distress I may have caused."

"Look, apologies are great and all," Fred said as he glanced around at the rapidly collapsing room, "But I think we-"

"Look out!" Wasabi called as he pushed Fred out of the way, letting Baymax take the impact of the chunk of concrete that had been hurled at him, the blow knocking the robot flat.

Looking in the direction the attack had come from, the others saw the Gorg approaching them, murder in its glowing eyes.

"Master!" Smek called from above, catching the Gorg's attention over the sound of the crumbling building, "Master, we musts be leavings this place before it entombses you!"

Glancing around, the Gorg snarled in frustration.

" _ **A pity,**_ " the Gorg growled as a stream of microbots flowed down from the hole in the ceiling and scooped the alien up, " _ **I would have given you an honorable death. But perhaps this is the end your squabbling kind deserves.**_ "

The group could only watch as the Gorg was lifted out of the hole while more debris rained down upon them.

"Baymax!" Hiro shouted as he ran over to the robot as he was picking himself up off the ground, "Baymax, you've got to get us out of here!"

"The ceiling's coming down!" Honey cried, prompting Hiro to look around to see that the concrete and metal ceiling was indeed sagging dangerously, the supports holding it up groaning ominously.

"We have to go!" Wasabi shouted.

"There's no time!" Go Go responded as the ceiling above them came crashing down, "Look out!"

The group let out screams of panic as the room collapsed, their cries drowned out by the thunder of crumbling concrete and screeching steel.

A/N: So, this chapter was a lot of fun to write, which probably explains why it got away from me! As always feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	28. Letting Go

**Chapter 28: Letting Go**

It seemed like an eternity before the deafening noise of the building collapsing ended, but when it finally did, the silence that followed in its wake was almost worse. Letting out a cough, Hiro moved to pick himself up, finding that he hadn't been pinned beneath tons of rubble like he had feared. A moment later, a light sprang into being, dazzling Hiro for a second before he managed to blink his eyes clear.

Glancing around, Hiro saw that he and his friends were all laying in a small open space within the rubble, the debris held off of them by Baymax, who was illuminating their surroundings with a light emanating from his chest. As he glanced around, Hiro saw his friends were all beginning to stir, each of them dirty and sporting scrapes and bruises but otherwise unhurt.

"Is everyone unharmed?" Baymax questioned.

"Yeah, I think so," Hiro replied as the others nodded in agreement, "Can you get us out of here?"

"One moment," Baymax requested before he began standing up, the servos in his arms and legs spinning loudly as he did. After a moment of effort, Baymax managed to lift the rubble upwards, causing small chunks to break away and tumble to the ground. After another moment, Baymax managed to lift the rubble clear and tossed it away, creating an opening to let the others crawl free.

"Oh, sweet Jesus," Wasabi gasped as he stood up and took a deep breath of fresh air, "I thought we were done for."

"We almost were," Go Go stated as she looked up at where the ceiling had been, her gaze now met by the starry night sky.

"I have to admit," Fred said as he stretched out his back, "I was not expecting my first superhero outing to involve getting my ass handed to me by the combined nightmares of Edgar Rice Burroughs and H. P. Lovecraft."

"What the hell were you doing!?" Hiro demanded as he ran up and shoved Fred hard in the chest, knocking the young man over a piece of rubble and sending him tumbling to the ground, "I had him and you let him get away!"

Fred blinked his eyes in surprise from his position on the ground before shaking his head clear and glaring at Hiro.

"You had him!?" Fred replied angrily as he scrambled back to his feet, "You were trying to kill him!"

"Of course I was!" Hiro shouted back, "He murdered my brother! He's working with a psychotic alien to do God knows what!"

"You crossed a line, Hiro," Wasabi said gravely, "What you tried to do is something none of us signed up for."

"Speak for yourself," Honey hissed, drawing attention to herself as she looked out of the ruined building at the city beyond.

"Honey," Fred said, a sad expression on his face, "Pamela. You don't mean that."

"Of course I mean that!" Honey snapped as she whirled on Fred, "That….That bastard killed the man I love! I'd love nothing more than to see him dead!"

"So much you'd kill him yourself!?" Go Go demanded incredulously as she moved towards Honey, "Do you know what that means!?"

"Of course I know what it means," Honey spat as she glared at Go Go.

"No, you don't!" Go Go shouted back as she gripped Honey's arms, "Honey, I know you're hurting but-"

"Don't you dare stand there and act like you have any idea how I feel!" Honey screamed as she shoved Go Go hard, knocking the young woman to the ground, "You have no idea!"

Go Go blinked up at Honey in surprise from her position on the ground, the other woman towering over her while glaring down.

"Maybe you would if you actually opened up to someone," Honey spat, "Maybe you'd understand if you weren't such a coward!"

"That's enough!" Wasabi shouted heatedly as Go Go's face flushed with anger and embarrassment, stepping between the two women before they could come to blows, "This isn't helping!"

"You're right, this is a waste of time," Hiro stated solemnly, before turning towards the android, "Baymax, find Callaghan."

Immediately, Baymax lifted his head slightly as his visor flashed green before it made a small beep of error.

"My enhanced scanner has been damaged," Baymax reported, causing Hiro to growl in frustration.

"Fine," Hiro seethed as he crawled up onto Baymax's back, "Wings."

Baymax's wings snapped open in response. As he settled in near Baymax's shoulders, Hiro turned his attention towards Honey.

"You coming?" Hiro inquired.

"Huh?" Honey questioned in confusion.

"You're the only one here who understands what needs to be done," Hiro explained, his eyes boring into Honey's, "So, do you want to help me find him or not?"

Honey seemed to hesitate for a moment, uncertainty flashing across her features only to be replaced by cold resolve. Nodding her head, Honey walked up to Baymax's side, stepping up as the robot lowered his hand to her and boosted her up onto his shoulder.

"Wait, where are you guys going?" Fred questioned.

"To finish this," Hiro said simply before turning his gaze skyward, "Thrusters."

With that, Baymax launched himself into the night sky, leaving a stunned Wasabi, Fred and Go Go in their wake.

A few minutes later,

The door to Hiro's garage lifted up, allowing him, Baymax and Honey to enter wordlessly. Stopping near the center of the garage, Baymax watched as Hiro walked over to one of the computers and boot it up, tossing his helmet onto the table besides it.

"Get his helmet for me," Hiro ordered more than requested as he typed a few commands into the computer after removing his gloves.

After taking off her helmet and placing it to the side, Honey turned her attention towards Baymax, who bent down obligingly. Reaching up, Honey removed the helmet with a quick twist before handing it to Hiro, who plugged a wire into a port inside the helmet and went back to typing in commands.

"Your blood pressures are elevated," Baymax commented as he glanced between Hiro and Honey, "You both appear to be distressed."

"We're fine!" Hiro snapped as he unplugged the helmet and picked it up before turning towards Baymax, placing the helmet back on the robot's head and snapping it back into place, "There. Is it working?"

Baymax paused as he lifted his head and glanced around for a moment.

"My sensor is operational," Baymax reported.

"Good," Hiro replied as he pushed on the panel that contained Baymax's datachips, "Then let's get…."

Hiro trailed off as the panel failed to open at his touch.

"What!?" he asked in agitated confusion as he repeatedly pushed on the panel which failed to open each time.

"Are you going to remove my healthcare chip?" Baymax inquired.

"Yes!" Hiro snarled, glaring up at Baymax as he continued to try and open the panel, "Open!"

"My purpose is to heal the sick and injured," Baymax stated as Hiro tried to force the panel open while Honey watched with an increasingly anxious expression.

"Baymax, open your data access port!" Hiro demanded.

"Do you want me to terminate Professor Callaghan?" Baymax questioned.

"Just open!" Hiro ordered as he began pounding on Baymax's chest.

"Will terminating Professor Callaghan improve your emotional state?" Baymax pressed.

"Yes! No! I don't know!" Hiro shouted as he began pounding on Baymax's chest with both hands in frustration.

"Hiro!" a new voice suddenly shouted, catching everyone's attention. Turning towards the source, Hiro found Riley standing in the garage doorway, looking at him in confusion.

"Why are you trying to beat up Baymax?" Riley asked.

"Riley?" Hiro questioned in return, his confusion quickly giving way to hostility, "What do you care? What are you even doing here?"

"I….I felt your emotions after you left," Riley explained hesitantly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke, "I was worried. What happened? Where is everyone else?"

"We left them behind," Hiro explained as he went back to trying to open the panel in Baymax's chest, "They were slowing us down."

" _I have a bad feeling about this_ ," Sadness whispered.

"Slowing you down?" Riley questioned as she stepped into the garage, her brow furrowing in confusion, "Slowing you down from doing what?"

"Hiro intends to use me to terminate Professor Callaghan," Baymax explained.

" _Oh, okay, that seems…._ " Fear began to say before he cut himself off, " _WHAT_!?"

"Wait, what!?" Riley asked as dozens of thoughts ran through her mind at once, "Terminate!? Professor Callaghan!? Professor Callaghan is dead!"

"He's not, Riley," Honey explained, her tone cold, "He's Yokai. He started the fire so he could steal Hiro's microbots and fake his death. He's the reason that Tadashi is dead."

" _Wow_ ," Disgust commented in surprise, " _Plot twist_."

"What?" Riley questioned, more confused than she had been before, "Why would he do that?"

"He…." Hiro began to say before he cut himself off with a shake of his head, "Look, it doesn't matter. We need to stop him."

"Stop?" Riley questioned as she narrowed her eyes at Hiro, "Or terminate?"

"It's the same thing," Hiro mumbled as he looked away from Hiro.

"They're not the same thing at all, Hiro," Riley pressed.

"He killed me brother, Riley!" Hiro snapped, whirling back towards the girl and glaring at her, "He murdered Tadashi!"

"Did he?" Riley questioned, her voice filled with quiet intensity.

"Excuse me?" Honey hissed, the anger that washed off of her catching Riley off guard for a split second before she managed to steel herself against it.

"Why would Professor Callaghan want to kill Tadashi?" Riley questioned, "You said it yourself. He set the fire to fake his own death. He couldn't have intended for Tadashi to run into the building after him. It doesn't make any of it right and he still deserves to be brought to justice, but it doesn't make him a murderer."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" Hiro roared as he stepped towards Riley, "My brother is dead because of him! He deserves to die!"

"And then what, Hiro!?" Riley snapped back, her anger boiling over, "Then you get to be a murderer too!? Will you feel better then!?"

"I….uh…." Hiro began to say, the question throwing him off.

"Because I'm going to tell you right now, you won't feel better," Riley pushed.

"How would you know that?" Hiro demanded.

"Because I can feel it in you!" Riley replied as she took an accusatory finger and poked Hiro in the chest, "It's right there, wrapping itself around your heart and squeezing!"

"W-What are you talking about?" Hiro asked in confusion.

"There's a thing inside you, Hiro," Riley explained, looking into the boy's eyes as she spoke, "An emotion made up of all your hate, fear and sorrow. And this whole revenge thing? It's feeding it. I could see it growing when you talked about killing Professor Callaghan."

"I don't…." Hiro began to say before shaking his head and glaring at Riley, "Look, I don't have time for your emotional crap. I have work to do."

As Hiro turned away from her, Riley bit her lip and scrunched her eyes closed, fighting against the tears forming in them.

" _Ugh, this isn't working,_ " Sadness groaned in frustration.

" _There has to be a way to reach him_ ," Joy stated.

" _Have we considered putting our fist through his stupid face,_ " Anger suggested.

" _Oh, thanks, that's helpful,_ " Disgust replied with so much sarcasm that Riley could practically hear the emotion rolling her eyes.

"I wish….I wish I could show you what I feel," Riley whispered.

As the words left Riley's mouth, an idea suddenly formed in her head.

"Maybe, I can," she muttered as she reopened her eyes.

" _Yeah_ ," Joy commented, " _That could work_."

" _Aw, I hate doing this_ ," Fear whined, " _It makes me feel all existential_."

"What do you-" Hiro began to say as he turned back to face Riley, only to find that the girl was ignoring him, choosing instead to sit on his garage floor in the lotus position with her eyes closed and her head slightly bowed, her breath coming out in slow, steady beats.

"Riley?" Hiro questioned as he quirked an eyebrow at the girl, not noticing the strange sense of calm that had fallen over him, "Riley, what are you doing?"

Reaching down, Hiro attempted to shake Riley's shoulder to try and force her to respond. Before he could touch her though, Riley's hands suddenly lashed out and grabbed hold of Hiro's outstretched arm, her fingers locking hard onto the limb. As Hiro began to instinctively pull away, he felt the sense of calm suddenly intensify, leaving him with no other choice but to slowly sink to the floor and close his eyes.

Hiro reopened his eyes a moment later, and found himself somewhere completely different. Instead of laying on the floor of his garage, Hiro was now standing in what appeared to be a vast, white void. Nothing could be seen in the void and no sound could be heard. Hiro's mind told him that he should be more startled by the sudden change, but all he felt was the omnipresent sense of calm.

That, and the sensation of someone holding his hand.

Glancing to his side, Hiro found Riley standing next to him, her eyes closed and her fingers entwined with his.

"Riley?" he questioned with groggy confusion, "Where are we?"

"I don't really know," Riley replied with a shrug of her shoulders, not opening her eyes as she spoke, her voice calm, almost serene, "I don't think it's anywhere, really. It's not real, just a place inside our heads."

"How did we get here?" Hiro inquired.

"I brought us here," Riley answered.

"How did you do that?" Hiro asked as he quirked an eyebrow at the girl.

"It's something I learned to do after the fire," Riley explained, "It let me get rid of all the negative emotions that I had bottled up inside of me."

"And you can bring other people here?" Hiro pondered.

"That was a guess," Riley admitted with a shrug.

"What do you mean?" Hiro questioned in confusion.

"I wasn't sure I would be able to do this," Riley explained, turning her head towards Hiro even though her eyes remained closed, "I think I can only pull this off with you."

"Why only with me?" Hiro inquired.

"Because we share a connection," Riley elaborated.

"A connection?" Hiro asked, "What kind of connection?"

"A bond," Riley stated, "I can sense your emotions better than anyone. I feel them even when you're miles away. I think it happened when I first got my powers. When you knocked yourself out trying to wake me up."

"Okay, I think I get it," Hiro replied, "But why bring me here?"

"Because I want to save you," Riley explained.

"Save me from what?" Hiro questioned, "Myself?"

"Not….exactly," Riley admitted, a note of concern in her voice.

Suddenly, the sense of calm Hiro had been feeling up to that point vanished, replaced by a rush of terror, sorrow and hate. Feeling something grab his feet, Hiro looked down, only to find that he was now standing in a shallow puddle of what looked like black sludge. As his eyes widened in surprise, Hiro felt himself start to sink into the sludge, the viscous fluid flowing up to cover his ankles.

Letting out a scream of surprise and fear, Hiro moved to pull his feet out of the puddle, only to find that the substance clung to him like glue. As he struggled to pull himself free, Hiro ended up losing his balance and falling onto his hands and knees.

"Hiro," Riley said as she held her hand out to the boy, "Let me help you."

"Help me!?" Hiro demanded angrily as he managed to pull one of his hands clear of the puddle and dragged himself towards its edge, "Now you want to help me!? Last I checked, you were trying to stop me!"

"I'm trying to stop you from doing something you'll regret for the rest of your life, Hiro," Riley replied, her voice never raising.

"How do you know!?" Hiro snarled as he dragged himself further out of the sludge, "What do you know about taking revenge!?"

"I don't know anything about revenge," Riley answered, "But I've come to know a thing or two about emotions. I know you can't take your revenge without giving into the emotions around you right now."

The words gave Hiro pause and he stopped struggling against the sludge, prompting it to surge upwards and begin slowly pulling him back in.

"What if I want to do that?" Hiro questioned as the sludge crawled up to his neck, "What if I give in to it?"

"Then it will consume you," Riley explained, "And you'll be alone."

"Alone?" Hiro asked as the sludge crawled over his throat.

"You need joy to have things like friendship and love," Riley stated, "There are a lot of emotions in there, but joy isn't one of them."

The statement seemed to shock Hiro, seemingly freezing him in place as he continued to sink into the sludge. The look of surprise was a brief one though, quickly replaced by another expression of anger.

"Fine!" Hiro growled as he began to squirm against the sludge's hold on him, "I'll just-"

"Here, take my hand," Riley offered as she reached out for Hiro.

"No!" Hiro snapped, "I can do it myself!"

"You don't have to, Hiro," Riley insisted as the boy sunk deeper into the sludge, "Your friends can help you. I can help you."

"I don't need your help!" Hiro argued as he continued to fight through the sludge even as he sunk deeper into it.

"Then why are you drowning?" Riley questioned simply.

A look of realization struck Hiro as he continued sinking into the sludge.

"I'm pretty sure we had this conversation already, Hiro," Riley said, smiling and reaching her hand out to him while her eyes remained closed, "You don't have to do this alone."

Hiro hesitated for a moment as he looked uncertainly at Riley's offered hand, before he steeled his features. Grunting in effort, Hiro pulled his arm against the grip of the sludge, his arms slowly pulling free of its embrace With a shout of effort, Hiro managed to yank his arm free and reached out to Riley, who grabbed it. As soon as she had a grip on his hand, Riley began pulling, but she only managed to move him an inch or two.

"I don't-" Hiro paused as he let out a grunt of effort while trying to remove himself from the sludge, "I don't think you're strong enough."

"But I'm not by myself," Riley explained, "Think of all your friends and family, Hiro. Think of all the people that care about you."

"What?" Hiro asked in confusion as the sludge began climbing up his arm, "They can't help now!"

"Of course they can," Riley replied, "Your friends and family give you strength. That's why you're better with them than without them."

"But….But they're not here!" Hiro argued.

"But they are," Riley stated with a smile, "Just picture them Hiro."

As Hiro continued to struggle against the grasping sludge, he closed his eyes and tried to focus on the people that mattered most to him. His friends. His family.

Suddenly, he felt a stronger pull on his arm. Opening his eyes, Hiro found that Riley was no longer alone in the struggle to pull him out of the sludge. A group of people now stood with Riley, each of them working to pull Hiro out of the sludge. Along with her was Tip, Honey, Wasabi, Go Go, and Fred. Baymax and Oh were there as well, along with his aunt and….

"Tadashi," Hiro whispered, his eyes going wide as he looked up into his brother's smiling face, "No, T-Tadashi….Tadashi is dead."

"That's true," Riley agreed with a nod, "But that doesn't mean he's gone. You still have all the memories, all the emotions you have associated with your brother. Those will never die. Not if you don't let them."

Hiro slowly turned his gaze towards Riley, his eyes wide. As his eyes settled on Riley's smiling face, her eyes closed in meditative concentration. His eyes narrowing in focus, Hiro pulled on his other arm, trying to force it free of the sludge. Hiro struggled for a few moments, growling through gritted teeth as he did. After a moment, Hiro pulled his arm free with another shout, Riley automatically reaching out and taking it as well, along with the images of all his friends and family. Even as everyone worked together to pull him free however, the sludge held fast.

"I-I can't pull free!" Hiro cried.

"It's because you have to let go, Hiro," Riley stated in return, "I can see that now."

"Let go!?" Hiro questioned in confusion, "What do you mean!? I thought you just said-"

"No, not like that," Riley interrupted him, "You have to let go off all the negative feelings. All the sorrow and hate you feel because of Tadashi's death."

"I-I can't!" Hiro said as he looked away from Riley, "Look at it! It….It's too much…."

"You can do it," Riley reassured him, "You just have to let me help you."

"How?" Hiro questioned as he slowly lifted his head to look at Riley again.

"Just focus on all your friends and family," Riley explained, "I can help you use their strength to get rid of the negative emotions just like I did before."

"How do I do it?" Hiro asked as he began sinking deeper into the sludge.

"Just focus on their strengths," Riley explained, "Think about your Aunt's love, your brother's compassion, Honey's optimism, Fred's enthusiasm, Wasabi's friendliness, Go Go's determination, Tip's stubbornness."

"And what about you?" Hiro questioned as he managed to pull himself slightly further out of the sludge, drawing closer to Riley as he did.

"Me?" Riley asked, a small smile growing on her face as she pulled Hiro slightly closer as well, "There's all sorts of emotions you can pull from me."

"Like what?" Hiro questioned as he leaned in closer, the sludge slowly falling from his back.

"Like how it felt on that night when we first met," Riley replied, her voice dropping down to a whisper, "What I was feeling when you stood up for me in the jail. Or that day you threw me a surprise birthday party. Or when we were showing off your microbots."

"What if that's not enough?" Hiro questioned as his face drew closer to Riley's.

At that, Riley's eyes finally opened, her gaze piercing into his.

"I guess we could always try this," Riley replied with a smirk and shrug.

Then she kissed him.

As the two sat their with their lips pressed to each others and their eyes closed, everything went quiet in their minds and their hearts. They had become so oblivious that they even failed to notice as the sludge that had been dragging Hiro down fell away from his body before it faded away.

After a moment, the two pulled apart, their eyes slowly opening to reveal that they were kneeling in front of each other in Hiro's garage, their hands clasped tightly together.

" _Wow_ ," Joy said, breaking the silence inside Riley's mind.

"Wow," Hiro whispered.

"My feelings exactly," Riley replied with a giggle.

Hiro chuckled at that before his smile faded.

"Riley," he said before he paused and sighed, "Riley, I'm so sorry for everything. I….I was-"

"A gigantic jerk?" Riley suggested with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yeah, I guess that sums it up pretty well," Hiro replied with a chuckle as he ran a hand through his hair, "What you did for me, I can't tell you how thankful I am. It feels like you lifted a huge weight off my shoulders."

"It's because I pretty much did," Riley replied with a shrug, "Those negative emotions were weighing you down emotionally."

" _And let me tell you, moving them was a hell of a work out_ ," Anger commented with a grunt.

"Well, thanks for getting rid of them," Hiro stated with a smile.

"It was my pleasure," Riley replied before her expression turned concerned, "You don't….you don't still want to kill Professor Callaghan, do you?"

Hiro looked into Riley's eyes for a moment, almost as if his mind was having trouble processing what she had said. Then, a moment later, shame spread across Hiro's features as he ran a hand through his hair.

"God," Hiro whispered, "I can't….I can't believe I even thought of doing that. W-What would my aunt think? What would Tadashi think?"

"What would he think?" Honey spoke up, catching Hiro and Riley's attentions, her tone cold, "He'd think you're letting his killer get away with murder!"

" _Uh oh,_ " Sadness mumbled.

Turning to where Honey was standing near Baymax, Riley found the young woman glaring at her, tears brimming in her eyes and her hands clenched into fists.

"Honey," Riley said hesitantly as she stood up, Hiro rising to her feet behind her, "I know you're upset about-"

"Don't!" Honey snarled, causing Riley to flinch back from her in surprise, "Don't you dare try to use your powers on me!"

"Honey, I just want to help you," Riley tried to plead with Honey as she began to hesitantly approach the young woman.

"Help me?" Honey questioned before letting out a harsh bark of laughter, "You want to brainwash me! You want to make me forget my feelings for Tadashi! Want me to forget him! I just watched you do it to his own brother!"

"Hey!" Anger snapped.

"What!?" Riley asked, aghast, looking quickly between Honey and Hiro, "I-I would never do something like that!"

"Didn't you!?" Honey snapped as she waved a hand at Hiro, "What do you call removing all of the negative emotions he was feeling about his brother's death? Taking away his desire to see justice for his murder!?"

"Wait a second," Hiro spoke up, "Riley didn't take any of that away. Callaghan needs to be punished for what he's done and whatever he plans to do. But punishing him doesn't mean killing him. Riley showed me that vengeance isn't the same as justice."

"You only think that because she messed with your mind!" Honey growled.

"No," Hiro argued, "I think that because it's true. What do you think Tadashi would-"

"TADASHI IS DEAD!" Honey screamed, tears running hot down her cheeks, leaving the others in shocked silence, the utter sorrow coming off the young woman making Riley's whole body shake.

"Tadashi is here," Baymax suddenly spoke up, catching everyone's attention. Turning towards Baymax, the group found the robot glancing between them.

" _Wait, what_?" Disgust questioned.

"Baymax…." Riley began to say, hesitantly, "Baymax, what do you mean?"

"Tadashi is here," Baymax repeated before the screen on his chest sprung to life, showing a pixelated image that quickly cleared to depict Tadashi standing in his lab, facing the camera while holding a small sign that read "Tadashi Hamada's Robotics Project Test #1."

"This is Tadashi Hamada," Tadashi announced over the video, "And this is the first test of my robotics project."

Reaching forward, Tadashi pushed a button out of view of the camera.

"Hello," Baymax's voice suddenly came from over the recording, revealing that the robot had been serving as the camera as well, "I am Baym-"

Baymax's voice suddenly trailed off, replaced by an electronic screeching that caused Tadashi to wince in pain.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Tadashi quickly shouted as he ran over to Baymax and pushed a button, suddenly cutting out the feed and starting another one, which depicted Tadashi dressed in different clothes while his sign now read Test #7.

"The seventh test of my robotics project," Tadashi stated as he pushed the unseen button again, causing Baymax's arms to start flailing around and slapping at the young man. A small smile tugged at Riley's lips as she heard Anger snort in amusement.

"Wait! Stop! Stop!" Tadashi shouted as fought against Baymax before the feed cut out again and a third one started, revealing an exhausted looking Tadashi, his sign now reading Test #33.

"Tadashi Hamada again and this is the thirty-third test of my robotics project," Tadashi announced before something offscreen suddenly sparked and the lights in the room suddenly died. A moment later, Tadashi suddenly reappeared, illuminated by the small flashlight he was now holding. He looked Baymax over for a few moments before sighing.

"I'm not giving up on you," Tadashi whispered as he looked directly into the camera, "You don't understand this yet, but people need you, so let's get back to work."

Glancing away from the screen, Riley saw that Honey was watching the video intently. As the video changed for a third time, Honey let out a little gasp and covered her mouth with her hands which drew Riley's attention back to the screen.

"This is Tadashi Hamada, and this is the…." an exhausted looking paused to glance at the sign in his hand, "Eighty-fourth test."

Tadashi sighed and rubbed the back of his neck before he looked up at the camera with a pleading expression.

"What do you say, big guy?" Tadashi questioned hopefully as he pushed the off-screen button.

"Hello," the android's voice greeted from the video feed, "I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion."

There was a moment of silence as Tadashi stared at the camera in dumb shock, his mind trying to process what he had just heard. As his brain began to catch up, a beaming smile spread across Tadashi's face.

"It works!" he shouted in triumph as he began to dance around the room, "This is amazing!"

As Tadashi continued to dance about in celebration, a polite knock came from the door leading into the lab a moment before it opened and Honey stuck her head in. Riley blinked in surprise at this development and glanced at Honey again, noticing the young woman's eyes had begun to fill with tears again.

"Tadashi?" Honey said as she stepped into the room, smiling in bemusement at the young man, "What's going on?"

"Honey!" Tadashi exclaimed happily as he turned to her, grabbed her hand and pulled her in front of Baymax, "I got my robotics project working!"

"That's wonderful!" Honey beamed as she bounced up and down giddily, "I'm sorry to interrupt, you must be so excited!"

"I am," Tadashi confirmed with a nod before an idea came to him, "And you actually have perfect timing."

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Tadashi gently positioned Honey so she was standing directly in front of Baymax.

"I want you to have the honor of being the first person he scans," Tadashi explained with a smile.

"Me?" Honey questioned in surprise before shaking her head, "Oh no, Tadashi, I couldn't. This is your project. You should be the one to do it."

"Please, I insist," Tadashi replied, causing Honey to sigh and roll her eyes playfully.

"Oh, alright," Honey relented, giggling as Tadashi smiled at her before turning her attention towards Baymax, "What do I need to do?"

"Just stand there with your arms and legs spread," Tadashi instructed, "We should try to make it easy on his first try."

Nodding her head, Honey assumed the requested position.

"Okay, Baymax," Tadashi said as he turned his attention back towards Baymax, "I need you to scan her."

There was a pause as a whirring noise could be heard.

"The caffeine levels in your bloodstream are elevated," Baymax reported, "I suggest cutting back on your caffeine intake, so as not to develop a dependency."

"I should probably take his advice," Honey said with a giggle, "There's just been so much work to do lately."

"I know," Tadashi agreed before looking at Baymax with a happy sigh, "But man, has it been worth it."

"Oh, I'm so happy for you, Tadashi!" Honey exclaimed as she quickly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Tadashi, catching the young man off guard. Tadashi's face flushed red at the sudden contact and he stood ramrod straight as he tried to figure out what to do. As he did, Honey's eyes suddenly shot open and she pulled away, her face flushed as much as Tadashi's.

"S-Sorry," Honey apologized as she took a step back from Tadashi and adjusted her glasses, "That….That was a little forward."

"It's fine," Tadashi replied as he quickly removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair before placing it back on his head, "Don't worry about it."

An awkward silence fell between the two of them for a moment.

"I should get going," Honey said quietly as she began moving towards the door.

"Hon….Pamela, wait up a second," Tadashi said, causing Honey to pause and look back at him.

"Yes?" Honey questioned as she turned back to Tadashi.

"Are you….are you doing anything later?" Tadashi asked nervously.

"Doing anything?" Honey inquired, "I was going to work on my chemical engineering project but that shouldn't take to long. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering…." Tadashi paused and cleared his throat, his face turning red again, "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out."

"Hang out?" Honey asked in confusion, "Like with the others?"

"N-No, like….just you and me," Tadashi clarified, unable to look Honey in the eyes as spoke, "Like….Like a date."

"...Oh," Honey whispered after a shocked moment, her eyes going wide and her face turning bright red.

Glancing at Honey again, Riley saw that a smile was spreading across the young woman's face and a sense of growing joy was radiating off of her.

" _I think it's working_ ," Joy whispered, as if worried her own insubstantial voice would break whatever spell Honey seemed to be under.

"Look, I-I understand if you'd rather not," Tadashi quickly said, "We….We've been pretty close for awhile now, you're one of my best friends, but I'd get it if you didn't want-"

"Yes," Honey quickly said, cutting Tadashi off, "Yes, I….I'd love to."

"O-Oh!" Tadashi replied with a beaming grin, "That's great!"

"I-I'll see you around five?" Honey questioned as she bit her lip.

"That works for me," Tadashi agreed with a nod.

"See you then," Honey giggled as she stepped out of the room, giving Tadashi a small wave as she left.

"Yeah," Tadashi replied, returning the wave as she left, "See you."

As the door clicked shut behind Honey, a huge grin spread across Tadashi's features before he broke out into a little dance, something that caused Honey to giggle as she watched the video.

"I am detecting elevated neurotransmitter levels," Baymax announced, bringing Tadashi's attention back to him, "This indicates that you are happy."

"Happy?" Tadashi questioned, "Happy!? That's an understatement, Baymax. This is turning out to be the best day of my life."

Grinning, Tadashi approached Baymax and let out a happy sigh.

"Oh man, wait until I tell my brother about this" Tadashi said with a shake of his head, "Wait until he gets a look at you. You're going to help so many people."

Placing his hands on his hips, Tadashi grinned up at Baymax.

"Right now, though, I've got a date to get ready for," Tadashi stated with a nod, "So, for now, I am satisfied with my care."

With that, the image froze on Tadashi's smiling face. Reaching out, Honey touched the image with her hand as Riley felt her anger and sorrow begin melting away, replaced by a warming sensation of joy and love. Tears streaming down her face, Honey took a step closer to Baymax and wrapped her arms around the robot, placing her face against the image of Tadashi.

"I love you, Tadashi," Honey whispered as her shoulders began to shake. In response, Baymax wrapped his arms around Honey while resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"There, there," Baymax said as he gently patted Honey on the back, "It will be alright."

" _Anger_?" Disgusted questioned with a chuckle, " _Are you crying_?"

" _What? No,_ " Anger hiccuped, " _There…There's just something in my eye_."

" _It's okay, Anger,_ " Joy said gently, " _Your secret is safe with us._ "

Honey could only giggle and hug Baymax tighter as the image of Tadashi faded away. After another moment, Honey stepped away, prompting Baymax to release her.

"Thank you, Baymax," Honey said before she turned her attention towards Riley and it looked like she was about to collapse into tears again, "Oh, Riley, I-I'm so so sorry. I should never have said those awful things."

"It's okay, Honey," Riley replied with a shrug and a smile, "After all, I know how you feel."

Riley could barely contain her laughter as she heard her emotions groan in her head.

" _What_?" Joy questioned defensively, " _I thought it was funny._ "

"Ugh, you would say something like that, Fargo," Go Go's voice suddenly came from the entrance to the garage. Looking towards it, they found Go Go, Fred, Wasabi and Tip entering the garage.

"Guys," Hiro said as he ran a hand through his hair, "I can't tell you how sorry I am for what happened. For what I did."

"For what we both did," Honey added as she stepped in front of Go Go, "Yuri, those things I said….I can't believe I…."

Go Go cut Honey off by silently stepping forward and pulling the taller woman into a hug, which she tearfully reciprocated.

"I see that Fargo was able to reach you guys," Fred commented as he gave an approving nod towards Riley.

"It was more of a group effort," Riley replied as she smiled up at Baymax. Turning his attention towards her, Baymax studied Riley for a moment before he held his fist up to her. Grinning, Riley bumped her fist against Baymax's prompting them to wiggle their fingers at one another and say "Ba-la-la-la" in unison, earning chuckles from the others.

"I'm glad to have you guys back," Hiro stated with a smile.

"You know we've got your back," Wasabi said with a shrug, "Just maybe don't abandon us on a spooky island next time."

"Oh man," Hiro groaned as he ran a hand through his messy hair, "I'm so sorry. How did you-"

Hiro paused as his eyes fell on Tip, noticing as the girl arched an eyebrow at him.

"Tip," Hiro stated with a knowing smile, "You went back to get them, didn't you?"

"I do what I can," Tip replied with a shrug and a smug grin, "I'm still waiting on my apology, by the way."

"I'm sorry for what I said, Tip," Hiro replied with a smirk, "We'd be lost without you."

"Don't I know it," Tip stated as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"It wasn't a complete loss, though," Fred replied with a shrug.

"Why's that?" Riley questioned.

"We found this in the remains of the control room," Go Go said as she pulled out a red data and held it up for the others to see, "And something tells me we're going to want to see what's on it."

A/N: So, this one got away from me a little bit and I had to spend some time rewriting some stuff so that if felt right. This is a big climactic moment, after all. Ultimately, I think it turned out pretty great. Let me know what you guys think! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	29. Preparations

**Chapter 29: Preparation**

After taking the data drive, Hiro plugged it into his computer, which brought up a video player as it automatically began playing the single video file on the drive. As the group huddled around the computer screen, they were once again greeted by the footage from the security cameras in the Akuma Island military base.

"What's this?" Riley questioned, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"We found Callaghan holed up in this abandoned military base on Akuma Island," Hiro explained, "Turns out Krei Tech had been working with the government on some sort of top secret experiment."

"Project Silent Sparrow," Fred added with a dramatically ominous tone.

"What kind of experiment?" Tip asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Teleportation or wormholes or something else like that," Go Go elaborated, "They had these two giant….I don't know….gates I guess, set up so that if you step through one, you come out the other, regardless of where they were in relation to one another. At least, that was the idea."

"What happened?" Riley inquired.

"They were doing their first live, human experiment," Honey answered, "But something went wrong. The gate took the pilot somewhere else."

" _That doesn't sound good_ ," Fear commented.

"Where?" Riley pushed.

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say the Boov homeworld," Fred replied.

"You're joking," Tip stated in shock, "What happened then?"

"The pilot was captured before she could get back to the portal," Wasabi elaborated, "The general in charge of the program forced them to close the portal and shut the whole thing down."

" _That poor person,_ " Sadness said.

"That's awful," Riley stated before her brow knitted together, "But what does any of that have to do with Professor Callaghan?"

"Don't know," Go Go admitted with a shrug before indicating to the computer, "We got interrupted before we could finish watching the footage. We're hoping that watching the rest will tell us more."

Turning their attention back to the computer screen, the group watched as Hiro hit a button and the video resumed playing.

"You almost got us all killed," General Monger snarled as he pointed an accusatory finger at Alistair Krei.

"Krei!" a voice roared as a man came charging in from offscreen, forcing General Monger and his entourage to intercept him before he could get to Krei, wrestling with him as he continued to and reach for the businessman, "You did this! You knew it wasn't ready!"

Pressing a button, Hiro froze the video feed, allowing the group to get a better look at the man.

"Callaghan?" Hiro questioned in surprise, his eyes widening as he recognized the man's face, "He was there?"

" _What_?" Joy questioned in shock.

"He was such a good man," Honey mused, a look of pain on her face, "What happened?"

"I don't know," Hiro replied with a shake of his head, "But the answer is here somewhere."

Pulling up all the feeds, Hiro began to rewind the footage back to the beginning. As he did, Riley's eyes widened as she spotted something.

"Wait, wait, stop!" Riley exclaimed, causing Hiro to jump in surprise before he paused the footage.

"Look," Riley said as she indicated towards one of the feeds, "There he is."

Hiro zoomed in on the feed, display the now still image of Callaghan talking with the pilot, who he recalled was named Abigail.

"He's with the pilot," Hiro observed as he began playing the footage again and watched as Callaghan pulled Abigail into a hug, which caused the boy's brow to furrow in confusion.

"Hold on," Hiro muttered as an idea came to him. Changing to the feed that displayed the inside of the pod, Hiro fast forwarded the footage until he reached the point where Abigail entered the cockpit. Pausing the footage again, Hiro zoomed in to get a better look at the side of Abigail's helmet, revealing the word "Callaghan" written their in black, blocky letters.

"The pilot is Callaghan's daughter," Riley whispered in shock.

"So, is this….what, some kind of revenge story?" Tip questioned, her mind racing.

"No," Fred muttered with a shake of his head, "It's more than that."

There was a pause as everyone turned their attentions towards Fred, who rapidly glanced between their faces.

"What?" Fred asked in confusion before he gestured to the computer screen, "Don't you guys see it?"

The blank looks he received told him everything he needed to know.

"We didn't see Abigail die in the other footage," Fred explained, "It looked like she was taken by something. The Gorg, I'm guessing."

"The Gorg?" Riley questioned.

"The leader of the Boov, though I'm pretty sure he's not one himself," Fred explained, "If I could sum this guy up in two words, they'd be "bad news"...that or "galactic conqueror.""

"Speaking of the Boov, where is Oh?" Tip questioned as she glanced around.

"Kidnapped," Fred answered before pausing as he thought something over, "Boovnapped? Anyway, the Grog and his toady, another Boov named Smek, took him during the fight. They probably need him to help rebuild the gate."

"Fantastic," Tip commented dryly, "But what would an alien warlord want with Callaghan's daughter?"

"He's holding her hostage," Fred stated with a nod, "It's the only reason I can think of that would get Callaghan to work with this guy."

"But if he's holding her hostage, that means Callaghan has something the Gorg wants," Wasabi pondered aloud, "What could he possibly have that the Gorg wants?"

"Who knows," Hiro replied with a shrug before a look of determination, "But I know what the Gorg needs."

"What's that?" Honey questioned.

"A power source," Hiro explained, "Oh and Smek might know how to fix the portal, but they're going to need enough energy to power it."

"Tearing a hole of the fabric of space?" Wasabi questioned, "That's going to take a lot of power."

"But where could they get that much power?" Go Go asked.

"Think about it," Hiro urged them, "What's the one place in town that has enough high tech equipment that they'd need the amount of power that Callaghan and the Gorg would be looking for?"

"KreiTech," Honey answered with dawning realization.

Riley suddenly let out a sharp gasp, and the others didn't need the brief, uncontrolled wave of fear that washed off of the girl to know what she was thinking.

"Dad," Riley whispered as she covered her mouth with her hands, a look of terror plastered across her features.

 _Meanwhile_ ,

The rising sun shone brightly down onto the high tech campus of KreiTech, glittering off the polished glass in the windows and the white colored walls. Numerous people were making their way between the buildings and the parking lots were full of commuter cars. Among them was the Andersen family car, which Bill was just stepping out of, his cellphone pressed to his ear.

"I know, honey, I know," Bill stated with a sigh as he closed his car door behind him and remotely locked the vehicle, "But just because he got kidnapped doesn't mean I don't have to come into work today."

"I understand," Jill sighed from over the phone, "It's just….I don't know, something doesn't feel right about today."

"It will be fine," Bill tried to sound reassuring through his grimace, "Have you heard from Riley yet?"

"Not yet," Jill replied anxiously, "Lucy hasn't heard anything from Tip yet either. We're worried."

"Well, I told you this would happen if we let our daughter hang out with that hoodlum," Bill stated with a smirk, his tone teasing.

"Ugh, honestly, you're impossible sometimes," Jill admonished him, though Bill could hear the smile in her voice.

"It's why you love me," Bill teased as his smile grew wider.

Suddenly, sirens began wailing all across the campus.

"Bill?" Jill questioned, her worried tone returning, "Bill, what is that?"

"I don't know," Bill admitted as he glanced around, noticing other people on the campus reacting in a similar manner, "I think I need to go."

"Be careful," Jill said quickly, "I love you."

"I love you t-" Bill paused as the lighting around him suddenly changed. Glancing upwards, Bill's eyes widened in shock as he spotted a car tumbling through the air towards him.

"Jesus Christ!" Bill shouted in terror as he dove to the side, avoiding the falling car as it crashed down on the vehicle next to him, sending shattered glass and bits of metal flying in every direction.

"Bill!" Jill screamed over the phone as it clattered across the asphalt out of her husband's grip, "Bill, what's happening!?"

Picking himself up off the ground, Bill lifted his head in time to see a Jeep full of security guards come rushing by. Following the Jeep with his eyes as it went, Bill watched the vehicle take a corner and go racing towards the entrance to the campus. Before it could reach it though, something slammed into the side of the Jeep, sending it rolling across the ground. As it rolled to a stop, something grabbed the hood of Jeep and lifted it up before hurling it to the side, revealing a monster standing behind it.

His eyes wide with panic, Bill slowly stood up, his legs shaking with fear. As he watched the monster, Bill noticed a man held in its tentacle like arm, Looking back at the monster, a chill ran down his spine as he realized the creature was looking right at him. There was a second as Bill and the monster did nothing more than look at each other. Then the creature tossed the man underhand towards Bill, sending the person flying through the air before he came crashing down onto a car next to Bill, forcing him to raise his arms up to defend his face from the glass shards that went flying as a result. Slowly lowering his arm, Bill looked at the person who had landed on the car and was shocked by what he saw.

"Krei!?" Bill questioned in shock as the other man groaned in pain and began trying to push himself out of the windshield he had crushed.

"Andersen?" Krei asked groggily before his eyes opened wide, "Bill! Listen to me! Run!"

"What?" Bill asked in confusion.

"They need you!" Krei shouted, his voice full of panic, "Get out of here! Run!"

Before Bill could move, a column of microbots suddenly slammed down in front of him. A second later, more columns slammed into the ground all around him, completely encircling him. Looking in every direction, Bill's gaze finally fell on the sight of Yokai riding towards him on another column of microbots. Stopping a short distance away from Bill, Yokai lowered himself back to the ground.

"Bill Andersen?" Yokai questioned as he gestured towards the man in question, "Head of the Magellan project?"

"W-Who's asking?" Bill asked in return, doing his best to put on a brave face.

"That's not really any of your concern," Yokai replied, "What is is the fact that I need to borrow your lab."

"My lab?" Bill questioned in confusion, "What do you need with my lab?"

In response, a wave of microbots carried the portal gate into view and set it down on a nearby car, the vehicle buckling under the weight of the device. Bill looked up at the portal gate in shock, but Yokai never took his eyes off the other man.

"Your lab has the best connection to the campus' powergrid," Yokai explained, "And, as you may have guessed, I'm going to need a lot of power."

 _Later_ ,

Back in Hiro's garage, the group of young adults and children were doing their best to prepare for the trail to come, which had them all on edge. This didn't help Riley any, who was already a bundle of nerves due to worrying about the safety of her father. She currently sat at one of the garage's computers, watching a video play on the screen and occasionally entering a few commands.

"You are distressed," Baymax's voice suddenly said from directly behind Riley, startling her out of her thoughts. Turning around, Riley found Baymax standing directly behind her, looking down at her with his owlish black eyes.

" _I hate it when he does that!_ " Fear exclaimed, " _I think we need to tie a bell to this guy or something._ "

"Sorry, Baymax," Riley stated as she blinked her eyes a few times, "What was that?"

"My scans indicate that you are emotionally distressed," Baymax elaborated, "Does this concern the danger your father may be in?"

" _Wow_ ," Disgust said sarcastically, " _We've got a real mind reader here_."

"Yeah, pretty much," Riley confirmed with a sigh, "I'm trying to take my mind off of it."

Turning his attention away from Riley, Baymax looked at the screen, which was displaying a video of Takahito performing tai chi.

"Are you attempting to learn more tai chi?" Baymax questioned.

"No," Riley replied as she gave Baymax a shy grin, "But I'm trying to teach you some."

"I do not understand," Baymax stated.

"I'm trying to make you a new data chip," Riley explained, "One that will let you do tai chi. I thought it might help you."

"But I already know karate," Baymax retorted, holding his hands up in a chopping stance for emphasis.

" _Adorable_ ," Joy giggled.

"That's true," Riley conceded with a chuckle, "But one thing that Takahito-sensei taught me is that there are almost always two ways of doing things, what he calls the closed fist and the open palm. That's why he mastered both tai chi and karate."

"Tai chi would provide me an alternate set of combat protocols in addition to karate," Baymax surmised.

"Yeah, pretty much," Riley agreed with a nod before turning back to the computer as it beeped at her, "Looks like it's done."

"I was not aware you possessed programing skills," Baymax commented as Riley pulled a blue data chip out of the computer.

"I don't," Riley replied as she turned towards Baymax and opened up the data port on his chest, "But Hiro already had the program set up and I do know enough about computers to copy and paste."

Reaching up, Riley placed the data chip in one of the empty drive slots before closing the data port again. As the port closed, Baymax straightened up and looked into the middle distance for a moment before turning his attention back towards Riley.

"I now know tai chi," Baymax stated.

"Show me," Riley said with a grin as she pushed herself out of her chair.

Taking a step away from Riley, Baymax settled himself into a relaxed stance before he began to wave his arms around in slow, gentle motions. After a few moments, he picked up speed, his arms dancing around his body in quick, fluid motions. Eventually, he came to a stop with his arms thrust out in front of him, before he settled back into his normal stance and turned his attention back to Riley.

"Have I performed sufficiently?" Baymax questioned.

"Even better than I could have done," Riley admitted with a chuckle.

"You finished with Baymax's upgrades?" Hiro questioned as he walked over to the girl.

"Yeah, it seems like the new program is running well," Riley comments.

"I know tai chi," Baymax stated as he looked at Hiro.

"I saw that," Hiro replied with a smirk before turning his attention towards Riley, "He's not the only one who's going to get an update though."

"What do you mean?" Riley questioned.

In response, Hiro pulled out a gleaming silver headband that Riley instantly recognized.

" _Wait a second,_ " Anger mumbled, " _Isn't that_ …."

"The neural transmitter?" Riley asked in surprise, glancing between it and Hiro, "How'd you get that?"

"This is the original model," Hiro explained, "I built a new one after Oh made his alterations."

" _Wait what_?" Fear squeaked.

"So, this is the one that gave me my powers," Riley surmised, looking at it dubiously, "I hope you're not asking me to put that back on."

"I made corrections to Oh's corrections," Hiro replied quickly before he pulled a jar out of his pocket and showed it to Riley, "Plus, you're going to need it if you want to use these."

Looking at the jar, Riley's eyes widened as she saw that it was filled with microbots.

"Microbots?" she questioned as she turned her attention back to Hiro, "You guys made some more?"

"With what little time we had," Hiro explained, "We figured if you were going to join us, then we needed something that played to your strengths."

"Microbots are my strength?" Riley questioned.

"One of them," Hiro replied, "You're certainly the most skilled person I've seen using them. Better than me or Callaghan."

"Callaghan has a lot more of these than I do though," Riley countered as she took the jar from Hiro and held it up for him to view.

"It was the best we could do in such a short time," Hiro sighed, "In the end, it's better than nothing."

" _He's_ _not wrong,_ " Disgust commented.

"So, you want me to come with you this time?" Riley questioned while quirking an eyebrow at Hiro.

"I made a mistake last time," Hiro admitted as he ran a hand through his hair and glanced away from Riley, "Who knows, maybe if we had brought you and Tip along, things would have gone differently. It's not a mistake I'm looking to make again."

" _Well, when you put it that way,_ " Joy sighed, " _One question though_."

"Do I get a costume?" Riley questioned hopefully.

"We don't have enough time to make you armor or anything," Hiro answered with a sigh, "The best I could do is make you one of the black undersuits."

" _Aw man_ ," Sadness groaned.

" _What a gip_ ," Anger groused.

"It will have to do, I guess," Riley replied, clearly disappointed.

"Well, luckily for you, Fargo, I've got something that will brighten up your costume," Fred stated as he walked over to them, a bag held in one of his clawed hands.

"What's that?" Riley questioned as she quirked an eyebrow at Fred.

"I had Tip swing by my house before we came here," Fred replied as he opened the bag and pulled something out before showing it to them, "I thought you might like it."

Taking the item, Riley smiled as she looked down at the kitsune mask she had seen in Fred's before. Grinning, Riley turned her attention back to Fred.

" _Oh my gosh_ ," Joy whispered.

"You want me to wear this?" Riley questioned.

"Every superhero needs a costume," Fred replied with a shrug as he grinned back at her, "Plus, I think it fits you better than it fits me."

Still smiling, Riley turned her attention back to the mask, running her thumbs across its white surface. After taking a moment to tie her hair back into a ponytail, Riley turned the mask around and slipped it over her face, the ceramic pressing against her skin while light filtered in through the two eye slits.

"Well?" Riley questioned as she glanced between Hiro and Fred, the mask muffling her voice, "How do I look?"

"You look like you're ready," Hiro answered with a grin, "We all are."

A/N: Shorter chapter this time around, but there were some quick scenes I needed to show before we head into the climax. Let me know what you guys think! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	30. Confrontation

**Chapter 30: Confrontation**

Wasabi's van, now in it's hover mode, flew over the roofs of the city's buildings, rocketing towards the Krei Tech campus, Baymax flying alongside it with Hiro on his back. Inside the van, the group were sitting in the van's various seats, most of them fully equipped in their gear. Sitting in one of the middle row of seats, Riley was now dressed in one of the black bodysuits the others wore under their armor with the transmitter in one hand and the kitsune mask in the other.

" _You think it will work?_ " Sadness questioned.

" _It could send us into a coma again!_ " Fear wailed, " _Or worse!_ "

" _Or it could turn us into a superhero!_ " Disgust argued.

" _Either way, we have to try_ ," Joy stated firmly, " _Our friends are relying on us_."

With a resolute look on her face, Riley set the mask on the floor before she lifted the transmitter and placed it on her head, her ponytail sticking out from underneath it. Immediately, Riley felt a strange but familiar sensation rush through her mind. Glancing around, a smile slowly spread across her features.

" _It worked!_ " Joy screamed ecstatically.

Turning her attention towards the jar of microbots sitting at her feet, Riley picked it up and placed it on her lap. Holding the jar steady with one hand, she held the other one above the lid. Instead of grasping the lid, Riley began to rotate her hand above it, causing the microbots inside to stir to life. Swirling around in circular motion, the microbots quickly crawled up the jar to the lid. Reaching it, the microbots latched onto the lid and began turning it from the inside. A second later, the lid popped off and the microbots quickly crawled out. Sweeping her hand down her other arm, Riley willed the microbots onto her limb, the tiny robots spiraling around it like she was holding a snake.

"Well, well, well," Fred observed from behind Riley, "Looks like she's still got the skills to pay the bills."

"Seems like it," Riley agreed as she wiggled her fingers, causing a few of the microbots to dance across her digits like she was doing a coin trick before she flicked her wrist, causing the microbots to form a strand that scooped the mask off the floor and placed it in her hand. Taking it in both hands, Riley slid the mask over her features, leaving only her blonde hair and the back of the transmitter exposed.

"How do I look?" Riley questioned, her voice muffled by the mask.

"Looking good, Fargo," Go Go commented from the front seat before she glanced over at Tip, "Sorry we couldn't whip you up a costume in time."

"Don't sweat it," Tip replied as she reached into her pocket, pulled out a pair of aviator sunglasses and slipped them on, "I've got my costume right here."

Go Go snorted in amusement, earning a smile from Tip as she turned her attention back towards where she was flying.

"You guys all set over there?" Hiro questioned, his voice coming over the communicators each of them had.

"Hearing you loud and clear, good buddy," Fred answered jovially.

"So, do we have a game plan or something this time?" Wasabi questioned as he glanced around at the others, "Because last time we did this, we didn't have one and got our asses handed to us."

"I think I might have one," Honey spoke up.

"Lay it on us," Fred urged.

"We could have Riley talk to him," Honey stated simply.

A confused silence fell over the van.

"Care to run that by us again?" Go Go requested.

"Listen, Riley was able to talk Hiro down from something drastic," Honey explained, "Maybe she can do something similar for Professor Callaghan."

"I-I don't know," Riley stated nervously, "Hiro wasn't exactly trying to kill me or anything. I don't think Callaghan will let me close enough for something like that."

"Then maybe you'll have to use more….persuasive means," Honey replied, looking slightly uncomfortable as she did.

" _Wait_ ," Fear whispered, " _Does she mean_ …."

"Do….Do you mean I should mess with his head?" Riley questioned, clearly taken aback, "I….Look, I know there's no rulebook for superpowers but that feels like something I shouldn't do."

"Maybe not, but these are dire circumstances, Riley," Honey argued, "Isn't it better if we can ends this without anyone getting hurt?"

The question gave Riley pause and she glanced around at the others, noting that each of them was looking at her with a mixture of hope and fear.

" _They're worried about us_ ," Fear whispered.

" _But they're also counting on us_ ," Joy countered.

"I'll….I'll see what I can do," Riley relented.

"Are you sure about this, Riley?" Go Go questioned, her expression concerned.

"As I can be," Riley confirmed with a nod.

"This is all well and good," Wasabi stated with a sigh, "But what's going to stop Callaghan from crushing us with his microbots the second we show up?"

"I think I have an answer for that," Hiro stated from over the comms.

"What?" Tip questioned.

"Using the microbots relies on a certain amount of concentration, right?" Hiro asked.

"Right," Riley confirmed.

"So, if we can disrupt Callaghan's concentration, he should lose control of the microbots," Hiro surmised.

"How are we going to do that?" Honey questioned.

"With my powers," Riley realized.

"Exactly," Hiro confirmed, "If Riley throws enough anger at him, Callaghan won't be able to add two and two together, let alone control his microbots."

" _Now this is my kind of plan_ ," Anger chortled.

"That's just crazy enough to work," Fred commented with a grin.

"It had better be!" Tip called back to the other occupants of the van, "Because Krei Tech's coming up fast!"

Turning their attention towards the front of the van, the group could see the gleaming tower that marked the center of the campus. Disconcertedly, they could also make out multiple columns of smoke rising from the area.

" _Guys_ ," Fear whispered, " _Are we ready for this?_ "

" _We're going to have to be_ ," Disgust replied, " _One way or the other_."

 _Meanwhile_ ,

Deep in the heart of the Krei Tech campus, a single room sat in the dark, protected by reinforced concrete walls and a heavy metal door. Suddenly, the room was illuminated by flashing red lights from the corners of the ceiling as a warning siren began blaring. A second later, there was a heavy thud against the door, followed by the screeching of metal as the heavy barrier was forcibly pulled apart. Then, in a shower of sparks and shrapnel, the door was ripped clear of its frame, allowing the harsh fluorescent light from the hallway beyond to flood in and fully illuminate the room.

The light revealed that the room housed only a single furnishing, a thin pedestal made out of gunmetal grey steel, at the top of which was a square plexiglass case that contained a single, grey, ovular stone. A moment later, a shadow was cast over the case and its contents as Yokai stepped in front of it. Yokai looked down at the case for a moment before lifting his hand, causing his microbots to swarm up around the case and smash it open. Reaching out, Yokai took the object and held it up to his face so that he could take a better look at it.

"To think," he muttered, "All that's happened, all this misery, over this."

Yokai sighed and shook his head before letting the microbots take the object from him.

"Keep it together, old man," Yokai stated, "You've got a job to finish."

With that, Yokai turned and began making his back down the hall.

"Don't worry, Abigail," Yokai said determinedly as the microbot swarm swept him down the hallway, "Daddy's coming."

A few minutes later, Yokai entered a courtyard at the center of one of the campus' buildings where the portal gate had been set up. Oh, Smek, Krei and Bill were currently working to set the portal gate up as the Gorg watched them work. Hearing Yokai's approach, the Gorg turned its attention towards the masked man.

" _ **Did you find it?**_ " the Gorg questioned as the microbots set Yokai down in front of the alien.

"Right where Krei said it would be," Yokai stated as he held up the object for the Gorg to see.

The Gorg's eyes instantly focused on the object and, after a split second, it reached one of its sinuous arms to take it, prompting Yokai to pull the object out of the alien's reach. Instantly, the Gorg's furious gaze was turned towards Yokai, but the masked man did not so much as flinch.

"We had a deal," Yokai said coldly, "You get this when I get my daughter back."

" _ **And what would you do if I just took it from you?**_ " the Gorg questioned dangerously.

"Then I would crush this before you could so much as breathe on it," Yokai answered, the microbots swarming up his arm and covering the object to emphasize his point, "And neither of us would get what we wanted."

There was another long, quiet moment as the Gorg glared at Yokai.

" _ **Very well,**_ " the Gorg said after the moment had passed, " _ **It will be simpler to honor our bargin.**_ "

"I'm glad we agree," Yokai replied as the microbots retreated from the object while the masked man turned his attention towards the portal gate, "How are they doing?"

" _ **My slaves tell me that they should be completing it soon,**_ " the Gorg explained, " _ **Once they have, then we may make our exchange.**_ "

At that same time, Bill and Oh were working side by side on the same portion of the portal gate.

"You are beings Bill Andersen, yes?" Oh whispered, not looking away from his work as he spoke.

"Uh, yeah," Bill muttered back, glancing hesitantly at the strange creature next to him, "How do you know my name?"

"I am being friends with your offspring, Riley Andersen," Oh explained.

"Riley!?" Bill questioned in surprise.

"Yes," Oh whispered harshly, "Why are your repeatings what I has already says and at much too loud a volume?"

"Sorry," Bill apologized as he dropped his voice back to a whisper, glancing nervously at Yokai and the Gorg, "But how do you know my daughter?"

"I has met her, of courses," Oh explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Now, you must be listenings to me. I am plannings your escapes."

"My escape?" Bill questioned.

"You are provings to be the useful to the Master nows, but once wes has opens the portal agains, yous will stops being the useful," Oh explained gravelly, "Yous do not wants to stop beings the useful to the Master!"

"Alright," Bill stated, trying to keep the apprehension out of his voice, "What's your plan?"

"I has connected some wires in an intentionallys incorrect way so as to be shorting out the device," Oh explained, "Whens it is being turned ons, it should be creating many sparks and loud noises, creating such a distraction so as to facilitate your escape!"

"Okay," Bill replied as he nodded in understanding, "So, when do you think that will be?"

"Behold, Master!" Smek suddenly declared, drawing everyone's attention to him, "The portal openses!"

As he spoke, the gate began to hum with power as the lights on it sprang to life. Then, suddenly, instead of a portal opening, a shower of sparks shot off the gate, followed by a series of bright flashes of light and the discharge of a few bolts of electricity. Everyone lifted their hands to shield their faces from the sparks, the light show accompanied by a cacophony of sound that left all of their ears ringing. After a few moments, the chaos passed and everyone slowly lowering their hands and blinking in confusion.

"I'm guessing that was the distraction," Bill surmised as the others all turned their attentions towards him and Oh.

"Yes," Oh confirmed as he turned a bright shade of yellow, "Run!"

With that, Oh turned and began running from the portal while waving his hands above his head and screaming at the top of his lungs. After blinking in surprise at Oh, Bill quickly followed the Boov, running as fast as his legs could carry him.

" _ **Stop them!**_ " the Gorg snarled, prompting Yokai to turn towards Bill and Oh and thrust his arm towards them. Instantly, a swarm of microbots rushed after the two, scrambling across the open ground with alarming speed.

Glancing back, Bill's eyes widened in horror as the microbot swarm rapidly approached, a strand whipping at his feet as the miniature robots drew closer. Bill was able to lift his foot out of the way in time, but the action caused him to lose his balance, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Hearing the thud of Bill hitting the dirt, Oh turned his attention back towards him. As he saw Bill trying to stand up, Oh ran back to the man and attempted to help him to his feet.

"Hurry, Bill Andersen!" Oh exclaimed, "We must-"

Oh cut himself off as a shadow suddenly passed over the two of them. Looking up, Bill's eyes widened in horror as he saw the swarm of microbots surge into the air like a cresting wave before it came crashing down towards them.

Before the microbot struck them, a thumping boom ripped through the surrounding area before a ripple of air slammed into the swarm, sending the tiny robots scattering in a thousand different directions. Blinking in surprise, Bill turned his gaze upwards in time to see Wasabi's van come swooping out of the sky. As Bill watched in astonishment, the van smoothly interposed itself between them and Yokai.

"We are saveds!" Oh exclaimed jubilantly.

"Yeah," Bill whispered, "But by who?"

As the van came to a stop hovering just above the ground, the rear door opened, allowing Riley, Wasabi, Honey, Fred and Go Go to hop out. A second later, Baymax landed next to the van, allowing Hiro to slide off his back.

"Oh, thank you, my friends!" Oh exclaimed as he ran over to Go Go and wrapped his arms around one of her legs, "Thank you for returnings for mees!"

"Of course, little buddy," Fred stated jovially, "No one gets left behind."

"Now, get off my leg and get in the van," Go Go ordered as she shook Oh off and opened the van's passenger door, prompting the Boov to release her and crawl inside.

"Dad!" Riley called as she rushed over to her father's side and helped him to his feet, "Are you okay!?"

"Riley?" Bill questioned, before his confusion gave way to fear and he gripped his daughter by the shoulders, "Riley, what are you doing here!?"

"Rescuing you!" Riley replied.

"Rescuing….Riley, these men are dangerous!" Bill insisted, "You have to get out of here!"

"No, Dad," Riley replied with a shake of her head, "We're the only ones who can stop this."

"Professor Callaghan!" Hiro called as he stepped around the van, Baymax following after him, "That's enough!"

"You don't get to decide that, boy," Yokai spat.

Pulling herself from her father's grasp, Riley walked around the van and stood by Hiro's side, the others quickly joining them.

" _We have to reach him somehow,_ " Joy stated.

"Is this what Abigail would have wanted?" Riley questioned.

Yokai quickly turned his masked face towards Riley and she felt the shock roll off him, quickly replaced by the heat of anger.

"Don't you dare use my daughter's name against me," Yokai snarled, his hands clenching into fists, "I'm doing this to save her!"

"Do you really think he's going to give you what you want!?" Hiro questioned as he gestured towards where the Gorg stood, "Do you really think the two of you are going to make whatever exchange you're planning and just walk away like nothing happened!?"

"What other choice do I have!?" Yokai demanded.

" _ **None**_ ," the Gorg answered from behind him, drawing Yokai's attention towards him, " _ **Not if you want your spawn back alive.**_ "

"Don't listen to him, Professor!" Riley pleaded, "We can help you!"

Slowly, Yokai turned to face the group again.

"No," Yokai stated with a shake of his head, and Riley could feel a pang of sadness emanate from him, "You can't."

"Riley!" Hiro said sharply as he turned to look at her.

" _Anger_!" Joy called out.

" _I'm ready_ ," Anger replied eagerly.

"Professor Callaghan, stop!" Riley shouted, pushing a bit of anger into Yokai's mind as she did. The sudden flash of rage caused Yokai to shake his head in disorientation before he turned to face Riley.

"And if I don't?" Yokai questioned dangerously.

"Then I'll stop you," Riley replied as she held her right hand over her left arm, causing one end of the strand of microbots wrapped around her arm to lift up like a snake preparing to strike. The action seemed to give Yokai pause and he studied Riley for a moment before he cocked his head to the side.

"I know you, don't I?" Yokai questioned rhetorically as he pointed at Riley, "You were at the Expo. You're Hiro's little girlfriend from the demonstration."

Riley didn't answer but her body tensed up at the words.

" _Well, so much for the mask_ ," Disgust groused.

"Are you planning on stopping me with those?" Yokai questioned as he nodded towards the small mass of microbots on Riley's arm.

"Not exactly," Riley admitted as she concentrated on Yokai, focusing on his emotions over those around her, doing her best to form a mental bond with the other man.

" _Hit him, Anger_ ," Joy instructed.

Suddenly, a hot flash of anger ripped through Yokai's head. Letting out a cry of pain and fear, Yokai bent over and clutched the sides of his head. As he writhed in agony, the various swarms of microbots Yokai had been controlling suddenly shook and fell apart, causing him to fall to the ground in showers of tiny robots.

"W-What are you doing to me!?" Yokai demanded through clenched teeth.

"I'm trying to help everyone," Riley stated as she raised her hands in a placating gesture, causing the pain in Yokai's head to suddenly cease, "I want to help you get your daughter back but I won't let you hurt people I care about in order to do it."

"I won't let you stop-AAGH!" Yokai screamed as he moved towards Riley, the microbots around him stirring for a brief moment before he fell to his knees as another wave of pain shot through his skull.

"Stop it!" Riley demanded, her hands clenched into fists again, "I don't want to hurt you if I don't have to."

With that, Riley unclenched her fists again, causing Yokai to crumple to his hands and knees, his chest heaving.

" _Alright,_ " Anger huffed, " _I'm going to need a breather after that one_."

" _That's fine,_ " Joy stated, " _I think we're going to need some Sadness for what happens next_."

" _I'm still not so sure about this, Joy_ ," Sadness spoke up.

" _Now's not the time to be second guessing ourselves, Sadness_!" Disgust barked.

"Despite everything that's happened, I don't think you're a bad person, Professor," Riley stated as she silenced her emotions and began pushing a small amount of sadness into Yokai's mind, "I don't think you wanted anyone to get hurt."

Riley paused as she let the sadness sink into Yokai's thoughts, watching as his shoulders slumped and his head hung down towards the ground.

"I don't think you meant for Tadashi to die," Riley pushed.

As Riley spoke, she felt a pang of sorrow from multiple directions. Glancing to the side, she saw the others watching the conversation with sad expressions.

" _I think we're too open to emotions right now,_ " Sadness stated, " _What happens if we get hit with a big spike of them?_ "

" _We can't do this with our defenses raised,_ " Joy stated, " _We just need to hope for the best at this point_."

"Oh God," Yokai whispered to himself, "No one was supposed to be in the building. No one was supposed to get hurt. Tadashi-"

"That was him though, wasn't it?" Riley continued, "Always going the extra mile. Always trying to help people."

"He was a good man," Yokai stated with a nod, "He deserved more than he got."

" _You're up, Fear_ ," Joy whispered, earning a small gulp in reply.

"He did," Riley confirmed as she began to push a little fear into Yoaki's mind, "But that's not what happened, is it? You had to save Abigail, by whatever means necessary. But think about what I said. Think of what Abigail will think when this is all over? When she finds out what you did."

As the fear began to eat away at Yokai, he rose up onto his knees and looked down at his trembling hands.

"What have I done?" Yokai questioned, "I….I've killed a man. I'm a murderer! Abigail….she'll never forgive me!"

" _Alright_ ," Joy said, " _Let's bring it home._ "

"Maybe," Riley said as she began emanating joy to counteract the fear, "We don't know yet. First we have to save her and we can do that together."

"Together?" Yokai questioned as he raised his gaze back to Riley.

"Yes," Riley confirmed with a nod, "We can save Abigail, together. I just need you to do one thing."

"What?" Yokai questioned desperately, "I'll do anything!"

"I need you to take off your mask," Riley instructed cautiously.

"My mask?" Yokai questioned in confusion.

"Yes," Riley pressed, "Remember why we're doing this. Think of Abigail."

"Abigail," Yokai whispered as he slowly lifted his hands towards the mask.

" _ **Yes, human, think of your offspring**_ ," the Gorg suddenly spoke up, startling everyone.

Turning her attention towards the Gorg, Riley watched as the alien walked over to Yokai and loomed over the masked man.

" _ **Think of how I will rip her limb from bloody limb if you betray me now,**_ " the Gorg snarled as he leaned down towards Yokai, speaking into his ear. As it did, a sudden burst of panic exploded out from Yokai, hitting Riley like a sucker punch.

" _Fear!_ " Joy shouted.

" _I-I'm trying to control it!_ " Fear screeched in reply, " _But there's a lot pouring off of him!_ "

"Wait," Riley said quickly, trying to regain control of Yokai's rapidly growing fear, "No, wait, d-don't listen."

" _ **Do listen, human,**_ " the Gorg spat, " _ **Or I will make sure that your spawn's spends its last agonizing moments knowing you failed it!**_ "

"N-No, I-I can't fail her!" Yokai shouted as he stood up straight, the fear radiating off of him causing Riley's hands to tremble.

"Stop!" Riley demanded as she launched another blast of anger at Yokai, causing him to scream in pain.

"Kill her!" the Gorg roared.

" _Anger!_ " Joy screamed.

" _I-I can't hold it!_ " Anger wailed.

As he did, Riley felt a sudden inferno of anger spill of Yokai, causing her to clutch her temples and fall to her knees. As she did, Yokai stood up straight and threw both hands out, causing the microbots around him to flare up and shoot away from him like a shockwave, slamming into the others and knocking them all down. Cursing under her breath, Tip yanked up on the controls of the van, rising into the air enough so that the microbots just clipped the back of the vehicle, sending it spinning into the air as Oh screamed at the top of his lungs. Gritting her teeth, Tip regained control of the van, leaving it hovering a few dozen feet in the air. As she did, Oh continued to scream, prompting Tip to slap one hand over the Boov's mouth to quiet him.

As Riley lay on the ground, groaning in pain, Yokai cocked his fist back before thrusting his arm forward, shooting a giant column of microbots at the girl.

"Riley!" Bill shouted in a panic as he pushed himself to his feet and rushed forward, leaping towards his daughter just as the microbot column reached her. As the microbots slammed into them, Bill managed to put himself between Riley and the assault, which sent them both rolling a few yards across the ground.

Groaning in pain after they came to a stop, Riley pushed herself up to her hands and knees.

"Are you okay, Dad?" Riley questioned, before she looked over at Bill after receiving no answer, "Dad?"

Looking at Bill, Riley saw that her father was laying limply on the ground, his limbs splayed loosely around him.

" _Oh no,_ " Joy whispered.

"Dad?" Riley asked again as panic bloomed in her chest.

Scrambling over to him, Riley looked down at Bill and was horrified to see one side of his face covered in blood. Pushing some of his hair out of the way, Riley found a gash cut into the side of his head.

" _Nononono_ ," Joy said rapidly.

"Daddy?" Riley whimpered as she cradled Bill's head protectively, tears welling up in her eyes.

As the others recovered, they looked upon the scene with mixtures of sorrow and horror, except for Go Go, who's emotions quickly turned to fury. Spinning towards Yokai, Go Go glared at him as the masked man rose back up into the air on a column of microbots.

"You bastard!" Go Go spat, the words causing the others to spring back to their feet and turn their attentions towards Yokai

"Go for the mask!" Hiro shouted as he leapt onto Baymax's back before the robot launched into the air. Rushing forward, Baymax reached out towards Yokai, but the masked man easily dodged to the side, sending the robot shooting past him. Turning to face Baymax's retreating form, Yokai thrust his hand at him, sending a strand of microbots shooting out and wrapping around the robot's leg. Whirling his arms around, Yokai caused the microbots to whip Baymax around before slamming him against a wall, the sudden change in momentum causing Hiro flying off the robot's back and crashing through a window into the building.

"Hiro!" Honey shouted in fear as Baymax tried to pull himself out of the part of the wall Yokai had partially imbedded him in, only for the masked man to grab him with the strand of microbots and slam the robot against the ground.

"Baymax!" the others called as they rushed towards Yokai.

"Leaping into action!" Fred shouted as he sprang into the air, fire spewing from his suit's mouth as he rocketed at Yokai. Seeing him coming, Yokai raised a wall of microbots in front of him, shielding him from the flames. As Fred reached him, he grabbed onto Yokai's microbot shield, only for the masked man to use it to slam the young man against the ground. As Fred lay stunned, the microbots picked him up and thrust him against the wall of the nearby building, causing rubble and lengths of metal to break free. Releasing Fred, Yokai allowed the young man to fall to the ground. As Fred lay on his back, strands of microbots wrapped around each of his limbs before pulling on them, holding the young man aloft with each of his limbs fully extended.

Pulling the microbots away from Fred, Yokai turned his attention towards Go Go as she came racing towards him. Thrusting one hand forward, Yokai assaulted Go Go with a quick series of columns, but the young women managed to skate around each of them. Growling in frustration, Yokai made a fist, causing a swarm of microbots that had been crawling across the ground unnoticed to spring into the air around Go Go, forming a sphere that entrapped the young woman, causing her to fall to her side.

Glancing over at Wasabi, Yokai threw a barrage of microbot strands at him from multiple angles, forcing the young man to slash his plasma blades in every direction to keep them back. Moving a swarm of microbots under two of the concrete slabs that made up a nearby walkway, Yokai lifted them up and rushed them at Wasabi, attempting to sandwich him between the slabs. Distracted by the attacking strands of microbots, Wasabi did not notice the two slabs until they were right on top of him. Letting out a cry of surprise, Wasabi flicked off his plasma blades before lifting his arms and legs up and wedging himself between the two slabs.

"Getting a little tight here!" Wasabi grunted as he used all his strength to keep from being crushed.

As Yokai lashed out at Honey with a spike of microbots, she nimbly hopped over it before spiking one of her chemballs against the ground, trapping the spike in a blob of blue goo. Still running, Honey tossed another chemball into the air, where it exploded and trapped three more of the microbot spikes in a wad of pink goo. However, another spike suddenly burst through the wad of goo and came shooting down towards her. Letting out a gasp of fear, Honey quickly grabbed two more chemballs and slammed them against the ground at her feet, causing a dome of pink resin to form a small dome around her. A second later, the spike broke through the dome, missing Honey's head by bare inches. Quickly pulling back, the spike began rapidly stabbing through the dome, blindly searching for Honey as she curled up into a ball and desperately tried to stay out of its way.

"This is not going the well at alls!" Oh proclaimed as he turned a bright shade of yellow.

"No," Tip agreed as she turned the van towards Yokai, "Come on, let's-"

Tip was interrupted as something slammed into the side of the van, sending it spinning out of control. Both Tip and Oh screamed in fear as the van went plummeting to the ground, digging up a chunk of the lawn and the walkway before it skidded to a halt and its engine died.

Shaking her head clear, Tip quickly looked around before she noticed the Gorg landing a few yards away, apparently having leapt up and slammed the van out of the air. As she watched, the Gorg began walking towards the van, a grim expression on its alien face. Turning her attention towards the van's controls and tried to restart the engine. As she did, the van let out a high-pitched whine before stalling.

"Come on, come on!" Tip pleaded as she attempted to start the engine again only for it to stall a second time, prompting her to punch the steering wheel in frustration.

"Oh!" Tip shouted as she turned her attention towards the Boov sitting next to her, who was just recovering his senses, "Oh, I need your help!"

Quickly shaking his head clear, Oh turned towards Tip.

"What happeneds?" Oh questioned blearily.

"Your old boss knocked us out of the sky," Tip explained as she continued trying to get the van started again while glancing over at the Gorg, who continued to approach them, "I think he wants to talk to you."

Going yellow with fear, Oh looked over at the Gorg as well before he turned his attention back to Tip.

"We must be getting back intos the airs!" Oh wailed.

"What do you think I'm trying to do!?" Tip snapped, "I can't get the van working! You need to fix it!"

Turning his attention to the van's dashboard, Oh quickly slid onto the floor and began examining various components. After a moment, he popped up and looked back at Tip.

"I believe I have found the-" Oh began to say before the passenger window behind him suddenly shattered and the Gorg reached one of his tentacles inside and wrapped it around the Boov's midsection before pulling him out as he and Tip screamed in terror.

" _ **I do not believe I dismissed you,**_ " the Gorg snarled before he tossed Oh back over to the gate, sending the Boov bouncing across the ground. As he rolled to a stop, Oh tried to push himself up, only to be forced back to the ground by Smek.

"No, no, nos," Smek said with a slimy grin, "You will be staying heres now, I thinks. Great view to sees the Master and the human crush your little friends."

As Oh watched with wide eyes, the Gorg turned his attention back to the van as Tip continued to struggle to get the vehicle working again. Reaching down, the Gorg grabbed the front of the van and hefted it into the air. Tip screamed in panic as she grabbed hold of the seat to keep from falling towards the windshield.

Picking himself up off the floor, Hiro looked around blearily at the office he had been thrown into. Pushing himself to his feet, Hiro rushed over to the now shattered window he had entered through and looked out. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the predicament all his friends were in. Quickly focusing on Yokai, his blood went cold as he saw the masked man advanced on Riley, who was still cradling her father's head in her lap.

"RILEY!" Hiro shouted at the top of his lungs, "RILEY, BEHIND YOU!"

Hearing Hiro's words, Riley turned to look at Yokai, who towered over her from only a few yards away. As their gazes met, Yokai slowly lowered himself to the ground.

"So, this is what you want?" Riley questioned as she glared at Yokai from behind her mask, "This is the type of person you are?"

"I'm a father," Yokai stated as he pulled his fist back to throw a punch, "I'll do whatever it takes to save my little girl."

"Even if that means killing someone else's little girl?" Riley demanded as venom leaked into her words.

Yokai went silent at the question and, for a moment, he looked down at Bill before bringing his attention back to Riley.

"If that's the price I have to pay," Yokai stated before he thrust his fist at Riley, sending a spike of microbots shooting at her head.

"Then so be it."

A/N: Now this chapter was an absolute blast to write. It took a couple of rewrites to work out the flow but I think it came out pretty well. Let me know what you guys think! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	31. Become Like Water

**Chapter 31: Become Like Water**

Everything seemed to slow down for Riley as the spike made out of microbots came rushing towards her. As her eyes focused in on the attack, her fingers tightened in her father's hair as his head lay in her lap, some of his blood leaking onto one of her hands.

" _So, this is it,_ " Sadness whispered, " _This is how we die._ "

" _N-No!_ " Fear shrieked, " _This can't be it! We have to do something!_ "

" _What do you propose we do, Fear_!?" Disgust demanded, " _Block him with our microbots?_ _He'd rip through something that small like wet tissue!_ "

" _But we have to do something!_ " Fear argued, " _Joy, you have an idea, right!?_ "

Joy did not answer.

" _Joy?_ " Sadness questioned with concern.

" _I...I don't know,_ " Joy whimpered, her voice cracking as she spoke, " _I don't know what to do._ "

Riley's other emotions fell silent as Joy sobbed quietly to herself.

" _I can't believe this_ ," Disgust whispered, " _We're going to die._ "

" _It happens to everyone,_ " Sadness pointed out.

" _You're right,_ " Joy sniffled, " _Maybe…maybe we just have to accept it. We did our best, didn't we? That's all anyone can really ask of us._ "

Another quiet pause followed.

" _It's been a joy working-_ " Joy began to say.

" _Screw. That._ " Anger snarled, interrupting her, " _Are you all seriously just going to roll over and die!?_ "

" _What exactly are we supposed to do!?_ " Disgust demanded.

" _Anything!_ " Anger bellowed, " _Anything would be better than just waiting for death!_ "

" _Anger, sometimes_ -" Sadness began to say.

" _Oh, don't come at me with that inner peace bull, sister_ ," Anger snapped, interrupting again, as Riley felt a burning heat growing in her chest, " _We've got people we care about out there! If we die, what will happen to them!? Our father is literally dying at our feet, and you want to make peace with our mortal existence!? I'll say again: screw that! We need to fight, tooth and nail, until our last breath! I don't care if all we're doing is spitting into the wind, we need to let this clown, this piece of trash, this supervillain wannabe know that when he says die, WE SAY-_ "

"NO!" Riley roared, hot tears spilling down her cheeks as, in a last, desperate attempt to defend herself, she swept her arm at the oncoming spike.

And the microbot swarm bent around her.

Like a river being diverted, the microbot spike lost its form and curved around Riley, following the arc of her sweeping hand. Passing her harmlessly, the spike instead slammed into the ground behind her, kicking up a cloud of dirt as it struck the earth.

A stunned fell over the courtyard as everyone stopped and stared at what had happened. Blinking in surprise, Riley turned her head and looked at the spike in shock.

"Holy crap," Hiro whispered from where he overlooked the scene.

" _Did..._ " Disgust mumbled, " _Did we just…_ "

" _HA!_ " Anger laughed triumphantly, " _HA HA HA! I told you!_ "

"That….that's not possible," Yokai said as he shook himself out of his surprise, "That's not possible!"

" _Alright, Anger_ ," Joy stated, a renewed determination in her voice, " _What do we do next_?"

" _Easy,_ " Anger snarled, and Riley could hear the grin in his voice, " _We put the hurt on him._ "

Looking down at her father, his head still resting on her lap, Riley reached down and gently touched his forehead before gingerly lifting it up and placing it on the ground. Standing up, Riley turned towards Yokai as the masked man pulled the spike of microbots back to him. Her gaze focused on Yokai, Riley slid into a fighting stance, her arms held out in a relaxed stance with her palms facing towards him.

"You're a scientist, aren't you, Professor?" Riley questioned, her calm voice holding a razor's edge, "The scientific thing to do would be to repeat the experiment."

Snarling, Yokai thrust another fist at Riley, sending another spike of microbots at her head. As the attack approached her, Riley swept her arms to the side again, causing the microbots to swerve to the side again. However, instead of letting the spike slam into the ground, Riley continued to spin, causing the strand of microbots to circle around her. As she finished the turn, Riley slashed a hand at the strand, causing the microbots to separate. Severed from the strand, the microbots swirled around Riley until they crawled up her arm and mixed with those already there.

His hands shaking in frustration, Yokai thrust both hands at Riley, sending a wave of microbots at her. As they rose up to crash upon her, Riley stepped forward and lifted both hands up, causing the microbots to break around her like she was a rock upon the shore. As the microbots fell back to the ground, Riley made a pulling motion with both hands and arms, causing the microbots to rush towards her and pool around her feet.

As Yokai looked at Riley in shock, the girl turned her attention towards her friends. Thrusting her hand at the sphere that held Go Go, Riley made a fist before pulling her hand back to her, causing the sphere to crumble apart as the microbots rushed to her side. Falling to the ground Go Go quickly picked herself up before watching in amazement as Riley freed the others, the microbot swarm surrounding her growing exponentially in the process.

Snarling in rage, Yokai thrust his hand at Riley again, causing a trio of microbot tendril to go shooting at her. Seeing the attack coming, Riley merely raised one hand with her palm facing Yokai, which caused the tendrils to suddenly halt in place a foot away from her.

"How are you doing this!?" Yokai demanded, sounding like he was exerting himself, his hands raised as if he was struggling against some unseen force.

"If I had to guess, I'd say the Boov tech in my transmitter lets me edge out the signal in yours," Riley calmly stated with a shrug, "But I'm not really good at this whole science thing, so maybe I'm just better at this than you."

With that, Riley swept both of her arms behind her, causing the microbots to break free from Yokai's grasp and flow around her to join her growing swarm. The act caused Yokai to stumble forward, which prompted Riley to step forward as she began waving her arms in a circle over her head. As she did, the entire microbot swarm sprung to life and began rapidly circling the two of them like a black, synthetic whirlpool. Still waving her arms in a rhythmic motion, Riley took another step towards Yokai, which caused the whirlpool of microbots to close in on them, the spinning machines striking the masked man's shoulder, forcing him to stumble forward as well.

The pattern repeated itself a few more times, Riley drawing closer and closer to Yokai as the whirlpool closed in tighter around them. Eventually, the two of them had drawn within five feet of each other. As they did, Riley stopped waving her hands above her head and quickly clapped them together. The moment she did, the whirlpool of microbots suddenly stopped spinning and rushed towards Yokai. Swarming over him, the microbots cocooned Yokai, holding him immobile. Yokai tried to struggle against the microbots grip for a few moment before he turned his attention towards Riley, who was standing a few feet away from him, her hands resting at her sides.

"Is this what it felt like to you?" Riley questioned, tilting her head slightly as she spoke, her face hidden by her mask, "To have someone at her mercy like this?"

As Riley spoke, the microbots began crawling up Yokai's neck until they had almost encompassed his entire head.

"Wait," Yokai pleaded, "Please."

"You're begging now?" Riley asked, an edge creeping into her voice, "Like I begged?"

" _Let's see how you like the a taste of your own medicine,_ " Anger snarled.

While she spoke, Riley clenched one of her hands into her fist, leading the microbots to constrict around Yokai's throat, causing him to let out a choking noise.

" _Anger, what are you doing?_ " Disgust questioned with a worried tone.

" _Just getting a little payback_ ," Anger explained.

"Now, you'll feel what I did when you were about to kill me," Riley growled, "Now, you'll pay for what you did to the people I care about."

" _Anger, you can't do this!_ " Joy shouted.

" _Watch me_ ," Anger snarled.

Yokai's head began to shake back and forth as he fought for air, the choking noises he was making becoming more painful.

"Riley!" Hiro shouted from the broken window, but Riley felt the impact of them as if he had been standing right next to her. Turning her attention towards the window Hiro stood in, Riley was able to see him shaking his head at her.

" _We can't do this, Anger,_ " Joy whispered, " _We're not killers._ "

" _This is what we were telling Hiro,_ " Sadness explained, " _Hurting the professor isn't going to make us feel any better._ "

" _...I guess…I guess you're right_ ," Anger relented.

As he did, Riley felt her anger abate. Looking back at Yokai, Riley unclenched her fist, causing the microbots around the masked man's neck to relax, allowing him to take a gasping, hacking breath.

"But if I killed you, then that would make me like you," Riley observed, "And what would my parents think of me then?"

With that, Riley extended her arm and flicked her wrist at Yokai, causing the strand of microbots around her arm to lash out and grab the man's mask. Pulling her arm back, Riley yanked the mask off of Callaghan's face and pulled it towards her, allowing the girl to snag it out of the air. Once it was in her hand, the microbot crawled up Riley's arm and swarmed over the mask. A moment later, there was a loud cracking noise as the microbots crushed the mask before they allowed the remains to fall to the ground, and the tiny robots crawled back onto her arm.

"Please….my daughter," Professor Callaghan begged, his eyes pleading.

"We're getting Abigail back," Riley replied, "You don't have to worry about that."

"Not if you don't have what it wants," Callaghan explained, "It's in my pocket. Please, take-"

" _ **Betrayer!**_ " the Gorg snarled as it tossed the van to the side. Riley watched with wide eyes as the van crashed to the ground, violently tossing Tip around before she came to a rest against the steering wheel, blood leaking from a gash on her forehead.

"Tip!" Riley called in fear before she turned a glare at the Gorg as the alien came charging at her. Thrusting a hand at Callaghan, she swept it towards the Gorg, causing the mass of microbots to violently expel the professor, sending him shooting through the air towards the alien. Growling, the Gorg snatched Callaghan out of the air and held him up so the two of them were eye to eye.

" _ **Your offspring will suffer for this, human,**_ " the Gorg snarled as it reached out with its free tentacle and began rummaging through Callaghan's jacket, " _ **I will make sure her-**_ "

The Gorg cut itself off as it rapidly pawed through Callaghan's pocket before snarling at him.

" _ **Where is it!?**_ " the Gorg roared in Callaghan's face.

"Looking for this?" Riley questioned, bring the Gorg's attention to her. As the alien looked at her, Riley gestured at her microbots, causing the ovular stone to rise up on a column of the tiny robots.

" _ **Give that to me,**_ " the Gorg demanded.

"Give me Abigail Callaghan," Riley replied.

" _ **I am done negotiating with you treacherous worms!**_ " the Gorg rolled, " _ **I will give you her head!**_ "

Riley responded by pulling the object back into the mass of microbots.

" _ **That was a grave mistake,**_ " the Gorg stated with barely contained rage as he tossed Callaghan to the side, sending the man rolling across the ground, " _ **If you give me what I desire and you prostrate yourself before me, I may grant you a swift death.**_ "

In reply to the Gorg's demand, Riley silently lowered her head and slid into a fighting stance. As she did, she began waving her hands back and forth in front of her. A moment later, the microbots began to coalesce behind her, reaching upwards as they did. After a moment, the microbots formed nine long strands. Riley then stopped waving her arms, settling into a stance with her arms extended loosely in front of her, her palms facing the Gorg, as the strands behind her began to wave and twitch behind her, as if they were nine individual tails.

" _ **You plan to fight me, whelp?**_ " the Gorg questioned with a laugh, " _ **What are you going to do that your kin could not?**_ "

Riley responded by slowly lifting her head and locking eye with the Gorg. As she did, the microbot tails went rigid and stood up straight.

"Let me show you" Riley said simply.

Stepping forward, Riley thrust both hands at the Gorg, sending all nine strands of microbots shooting at the alien. As they rushed towards the Gorg, Riley began twisting her hands each other, causing the strands to collect into a single massive column. The Gorg only had time to widen its eyes slightly before the microbots slammed into it, knocking the alien completely off its feet. After the column had hit it, Riley pointed her index fingers upwards, causing the microbots to suddenly shoot upwards like a geyser, lifting the Gorg into the air. As the microbots lifted the Gorg up, Riley made an outward sweeping motion with both hands, lifting them above her head. As she did, the microbots surged around the Gorg has he hung in midair. Then, with a single sudden motion, Riley slammed her hands down against the ground, causing the microbots to surge downwards and slam the Gorg against the ground. The Gorg struck the ground with an explosive impact, sending dirt and debris shooting into the air as chunks of the ground were broken loose by the attack.

As the dust cloud began to clear, Riley pulled the microbots back to her, collecting them back into the nine tail-like strands behind her. As the cloud dissipated, Riley could make out the form of the Gorg rising back to its feet, chunks of dirt and concrete sliding off its shoulders.

" _ **Impressive,**_ " the Gorg commented with a vicious grin, " _ **But not impressive enough.**_ "

With that, the Gorg rushed at Riley, thundering towards her at a speed the girl didn't think was possible for a creature of its size.

" _Not good!_ " Fear screamed, " _Not good!_ "

Thrusting her hand forward, Riley sent a mass of microbots shooting at the Gorg. Seeing the attack coming, the Gorg leapt into the air, sailing over the microbots and descending towards Riley as fast as gravity could carry it. Her eyes widening behind her mask, Riley quickly crossed her arms in front of her face, causing a mass of microbots to form between her and the Gorg. As the Gorg struck the barrier, instead of remaining rigid, it bent with the impact as if it were rubber. The barrier took on a distended appearance as the Gorg's rapidly slowing momentum continued to carry it towards Riley, forcing the girl to lean back to avoid the alien's reaching form.

As the Gorg's momentum ceased, Riley spread her arms out to the side before bringing her hands together in a single, graceful movement. As she did, more microbots flowed around her as the barrier shifted and enveloped the Gorg. Cupping her palms together, Riley willed more microbots to swarm onto the Gorg, eventually creating a sphere a few yards in diameter. As the microbots settled into place, Riley squeezed her hands together as tightly as she could. In response, the microbot sphere began to constrict inwards, shrinking in size as the tiny robots pulled themselves closer together. Little by little, the sphere continued to shrink in size until it was only a handful of feet in diameter. At that point, the sphere abruptly stopped moving.

For a few, long moments, everything went quiet. Everyone else watched with bated breath as Riley stood before the microbot sphere, her gaze focused squarely on it, her hands clenched together so tightly her arms were starting to shake. However, after another moment, the sphere itself began to shake, the microbot's starting to clatter together. As they did, Riley took a hesitant step back a moment before the sphere suddenly exploded outward, the Gorg standing at the center with its arms thrust out and its head thrown back in a monstrous roar. The microbots flew out in every conceivable direction, forcing the others to cover their faces as Riley was knocked off her feet, letting out a choking cough as the air was forced out of her lungs as her back struck the ground.

Gulping down breathes of air, Riley wasn't able to do anything as the Gorg stomped towards her. From his place in one of the windows, Hiro watched the Gorg stomp towards Riley with wide eyes. Looking around wildly, Hiro spotted Baymax picking himself up off the ground below.

"Baymax!" Hiro called.

Looking upwards, Baymax caught sight of Hiro before extending his wings launching up towards the young man. Glancing wearily at the Gorg as he continued to stalk towards Riley, Hiro bit his lip before narrowing his eyes in determination. Stepping back from the ledge, Hiro took a quick, calming breath before rushing towards the open window and leaping out of it. Watching as Hiro leapt into open air, Baymax quickly adjusted his course so that he could catch the boy. As Hiro reached Baymax, he quickly reached out to the robot's back with his hands, his magnetic gloves adhering to the android's armor.

"You jumped out a window," Baymax observed as Hiro settled into place on the robot's back, "You could have seriously injured yourself."

"Yeah, well I didn't and it saved us time," Hiro replied, looking back towards where the Gorg and Riley were, "Now, let's go!"

Watching the battle with wide eyes, Smek continued to hold Oh against the ground.

"Your friends are puttings up a fight," Smek commented with a slimy grin, "But is pointless, the Gorg will kills them all the sames. Do they not knows this?"

From his position on the ground, Oh managed to angle himself so he could watch the fight as well.

"They dos," Oh confirmed.

"Then why do theys persist?" Smek inquired, "Do they knows not fear or death?"

"They dos," Oh replied, his eyes drifting to the crashed hover van, "But they has learned to move pasted their fears. Overpowers them. They has learned there are being things worths dying for."

"Then they are being fools," Smek laughed.

"No," Oh insisted as his eyes fell on Tip lying against the wheel of the van, "Theys is brave. Theys is not controlleds by their fears."

As Oh spoke, his purple skin began taking on a red hue as he curled his arm tentacles into tight balls.

"And I am throughs being controlled by mines!" Oh snapped as he reached up and wrapped his arm tentacles around Smek's. As Smek's eyes widened in surprise, Oh yanked the Boov's arms off of his head, causing Smek to fall down on top of him. As Smek fell on his back, Oh rolled over so that he was on top of the other Boov.

"I am tireds of being afraid!" Oh shouted, his skin red as he began to slap at Smek's face with his arm tentacles, causing the other Boov to squeal in pain as his skin turned yellow, "I am tireds of the Gorg!"

Grabbing Smek by the front of his tunic, Oh hauled him up so that their faces were only inches away from each other.

"But mosts of alls, I is tired of yous!" Oh spat before he reared back and slammed his forehead against Smek's. The blow caused Smek to let out a grunt of pain as his eyes closed and he went limp in Oh's arms. Oh, for his part, dropped Smek unceremoniously to the ground before grabbing his head and crying out in pain.

"The headbutts is a terrible combat technique!" Oh wailed while rubbing his head.

Turning from Smek, Oh quickly rushed over to the van. Climbing into the passenger seat, he grabbed Tip by the shoulders and quickly began to shake her.

"You must be waking up!" Oh shouted, "You must be waking up, Tip Tucci!"

Groaning, Tip eyes fluttered open and she pushed herself away from the steering wheel.

"Oh?" Tip questioned in confusion, "What's going on?"

"We has to help our friends," Oh said before he crawled on to the floor in front of the passenger seat, "Helps me in gettings the vehicles workings agains!"

Coughing in pain, Riley looked up at the Gorg as it towered over her, its hateful eyes glaring.

" _ **You attempted to crush me like an insect,**_ " the Gorg observed as it lifted one foot above Riley, " _ **Now, I shall reply in kind.**_ "

Riley weakly held up a hand in an attempt to defend herself, closing her eyes in fear as she did. In doing so, she didn't notice the rapidly growing shadow that had appeared over the Gorg, but the alien quickly took notice and paused to turn its gaze skyward.

" _ **What?**_ " the Gorg questioned as it saw the forms of Baymax and Hiro dive-bombing directly down towards the alien. Just a dozen feet from the ground, Baymax suddenly flipped around and landed feet first on the Gorg's face, the force of the landing knocking the alien flat and burying it a yard into the earth, kicking up a cloud of dirt and debris in the process.

Coughing and waving her hand about to clear the dirt away, Riley looked up to see Baymax standing over her now, and watched as the robot gingerly stepped off of the Gorg. Hopping off of Baymax's back, Hiro rushed over to Riley's side.

"Are you okay?" Hiro questioned as he took Riley's hand and helped pull her to her feet.

"Yeah, thanks!" Riley replied as she pulled Hiro into a hug, which he gladly returned, "You guys were awesome!"

"Not as awesome as you just were!" Hiro replied as he pulled out of the embrace and grinned at Riley.

"I believe this alien lifeform is still conscious," Baymax observed, looking down at the Gorg as the alien began to push itself to its feet.

"Then we'll have to make sure it stays down this time," Hiro said with determination before grinning at Riley, "How about a little team up?"

"I'm game," Riley replied with a nod.

"Baymax!" Hiro shouted as he turned his attention towards the android, "Pull!"

Understanding, Baymax reached down and grabbed the still stunned Gorg by its left arm and left leg. Then, spinning in place, Baymax lifted the Gorg off the ground before hammer tossing it away, sending the alien spinning through the air like a Frisbee. As the Gorg soared away, Riley swept her hands around and gathered up a long strand of microbots. Flicking her wrist towards the Gorg, Riley sent the strand of microbots shooting forward like a striking cobra. As the strand reached the Gorg, the microbots wrapped themselves around one of the alien's legs and pulled taunt, arresting its forward momentum. Riley then pantomimed grabbing something with both hands and motioned as if she was yanking something back to her. As she did, the microbot stand snapped back towards them like a bungee cord, sending the Gorg flying back the way it had come.

"Baymax!" Hiro yelled, his eyes focused on the Gorg's rapidly approaching form, "Punch!"

As the Gorg came within reach, Baymax lashed out with a haymaker punch, his massive fist connecting with the alien's gut, completely stopping its flight, its remaining momentum causing its tentacle-like limbs to splay forward comically.

"Rocket fist!" Hiro ordered, and a moment later, the engines in Baymax's fist sprung to life, causing the gauntlet to launch forward, carrying the Gorg with it. The Gorg flew helplessly through the air before slamming it into a wall on the opposite side of the courtyard, the force of the blow creating a spider web of cracks in the masonry and shattering every window in the wall.

Flying back to Baymax, the fist allowed the Gorg to fall from the wall as shards of glass showered around it. However, as the Gorg reached the ground, it managed to keep its feet underneath it and slowly it raised its head to glare at Hiro and Riley.

" _ **It will take more that the three of you to defeat the likes of me,**_ " the Gorg snarled as he began to stalk towards Hiro and Riley.

"Luckily, we've got more," Go Go commented as she skated up to Hiro and Riley's side, quickly joined by Honey, Wasabi and Fred.

The sight of the others caused the Gorg to pause before he let out a sinister chuckle.

" _Oh, I want to give this jerk a piece of my mind!_ " Anger snarled.

" _Not yet_ ," Joy replied.

" _ **I have bested each of you before,**_ " the Gorg commented, " _ **How do you plan to defeat me now?**_ "

Glancing at one another, the group formed a line facing the Gorg and shifted into fighting stances while Hiro climbed onto Baymax's back.

" _Now?_ " Anger pleaded.

" _Let him have it_ ," Joy allowed.

"Easy," Riley replied as her microbot tails reformed and began to twitch in agitation, "We're going to fuck you up."

There was a moment of stunned silence as the others glanced at Riley in surprise. The moment ended as Go Go let out a delighted laugh.

"Oh shit," Go Go chuckled, "I second that motion. Come get some ugly."

Snarling in response, the Gorg charged at them, roaring as it came.

"Fred, Wasabi!" Riley called as she gestured at the two of them, causing a swarm of microbots to pool underneath both of them.

"Uh, Riley?" Wasabi questioned as he looked down at the microbots in confusion, "What are you-?"

Before Wasabi could finish the question, Riley waved her hands towards the charging Gorg, causing the microbots to spring upwards and launch Wasabi and then Fred directly at the alien.

"Fastball special!" Fred declared while Wasabi screamed in surprise and fear. As he rapidly approached the Gorg, Wasabi was able to regain his composure and prepare his plasma blades to strike the alien. Landing in front of the Gorg, Wasabi lashed out with both blades, slamming them into the alien's chest and stopping it cold, but the energy blades proved unable to cut through the creature's skin.

"Oh, right," Wasabi said as he grinned awkwardly at the Gorg, who glared down at him, "That doesn't work."

"How about this!?" Fred questioned as he landed on his hands behind Wasabi, "Handspring!"

Using his momentum, Fred pushed himself off the ground and towards the Gorg with his hands, threading the needle between Wasabi's blades and planting his feet against the Gorg's chest.

"Springboard kick!" Fred declared as he used his superpowered legs to kick off the Gorg's chest, sending the alien flying into the air, pulling Wasabi's blades free as he did. As the Gorg flew through the air. Baymax came flying up behind him, holding a large chunk of the concrete walkway he had torn up. As soon as the Gorg was close enough, Baymax slammed the slab against the Gorg, sending the alien flying back to the ground as the concrete shattered against it.

"Riley!" Go Go called as she began to skate forward "Help me get up to speed!"

Nodding in reply, Riley formed a large bowl of microbots in front of Go Go, creating a ramp allowing the young woman up onto the bowl. Skating around the bowl's perimeter, Go Go quickly began to build up speed. As she did, Riley began to constrict the size of the bowl, allowing Go Go to increase her speed until she was a blur of motion, the friction from her disks against the microbots, burning hot lines along the sides of the bowl. As soon as Riley felt Go Go had built up enough speed, she broke the side of the bowl closest to the Gorg and formed it into a ramp. As Go Go reached the ramp she went shooting towards where the Gorg was falling out of the sky.

Rocketing through the air, Go Go flipped around so she was flying feet first at the Gorg before she began to spin, quickly becoming a whirling yellow blur. Connecting with the Gorg, Go Go struck him hard in the back with both feet, the impact of the blow sending the Gorg flying back into the air. Bouncing off the Gorg, Go Go began falling back towards the ground, with Riley forming a mass of microbots beneath the young woman to catch her.

Running up to where Fred had landed after bouncing off the Gorg, Honey quickly entered a code into her bag, causing it to produce a trio of chemballs that were an angry red color. Pinwheeling her arm, Honey tossed them at the Gorg's flying form, striking him and causing him to be surrounded by a cloud of red dust.

"Fred!" Honey called as she turned towards the young man, "It's thermite!"

"Right!" Fred replied as he turned towards the cloud, "I'm pretty sure I know what that does! Fire breath!"

A tongue of flame erupted from the mouth of Fred's costume and struck the thermite cloud.

"Thermite explosion!" Fred bellowed as the cloud erupted into a fiery explosion, the force of which caused the group to stumble and shield their face as the windows of all the surrounding buildings to shatter inwards. The blast sent the Gorg flying further up into the air, smoke trailing behind them. As the Gorg reached the apex of his flight, Wasabi's van came flying in from the side, stopping directly in front of the Gorg. For a moment, the Gorg made eye contact with Tip through the windshield.

"Remember me?" Tip questioned, her eyes narrowing in an angry glare as blood continued to leak down her face. As she spoke, the cannon on the bottom of the van sprung to life and aimed as the Gorg before firing off a pulse at nearly point blank range. The blast sent the Gorg rocketing back towards the ground, punching a hole through the still lingering cloud of smoke before it slammed against the ground with enough force to create a crater a few feet across.

The force of the blow knocked Smek into the air, causing him to land about a foot away. Letting out a cough of surprise, Smek blinked his eyes open and glanced around blearily. As his eyes fell upon the form of the Gorg laying on the ground, his eyes went wide with fear. Looking around wildly, Smek's gaze eventually fell on where the gate was standing forgotten, Alistair Krei huddled behind it for protection. Seeing this caused a devious grin to spread across Smek's features.

"Tip!" Riley called happily as the van swung down to where the group was gathered, "You're okay!"

"I've got a hell of a headache," Tip commented as she rolled down the window to talk to them, "But yeah, I think I'm okay."

"Hey, little buddy," Fred greeted as he came over to the passenger window to talk to Oh, "Happy to have you back."

"It is pleasings to be in your presence agains as well," Oh replied with a grin.

"Do you think it's over?" Wasabi inquired.

As Wasabi asked, the Gorg began to stir before pushing itself to its feet again.

"I'm going to say no," Go Go commented.

"The Gorg is damaged," Baymax observed.

"You mean it's hurt?" Honey questioned.

"No," Baymax replied as he pointed at the Gorg, "It is damaged."

Looking towards the Gorg, the other could see that the alien now sported two long lines on its chest where Wasabi's blades had struck it. As the group watched, they could see sparks of electricity arcing off the wounds.

"It's mechanical," Riley commented in shock.

"At least partially," Hiro added.

As the group spoke to each other, the Gorg rose fully to its feet.

" _ **Finally,**_ " the Gorg commented, an odd sense of eagerness entering its voice, " _ **You begin to show a warrior's spirit.**_ "

"We can knock you around some more if you'd like," Hiro stated, "Or you can surrender. Either way, this is over."

"Not quites yet!" Smek's voice called out, bring everyone's attention to him. As they looked at Smek, they could see the Boov stood before the gate, which had begun humming with power and sparking with electricity.

"Behold, I nows brings to your world the full power of the Master!" Smek roared as the gate's humming increased to almost deafening volume, "Behold, your-"

Smek was cut off as the gate behind him suddenly exploded into a pall of bright blue energy and electricity. The force of the blast sent Smek flying forward as everyone else was knocked from their feet. As she lay on the ground, Riley shook her head clear, allowing her to see that the gate had left behind a large ball of glowing blue energy.

As Riley watched, the ball began to rise into the air, growing brighter as it did. Once it had risen a few hundred feet into the air, the sphere exploded again, sending out a shockwave of energy in a blinding flash of light. As the light faded, everyone on the ground saw that the energy orb had left behind what could only be described as a rip in the sky. The oblong rip was rimmed by the same blue energy and beyond it, the people on the ground could see the star studded darkness of a night's sky. A loud whooshing noise could be heard coming from the tear.

"Oh my god," Honey whispered, as she and the other's rose back to their feet, "A freestanding spatial rip."

"What was Smek trying to do?" Go Go questioned, "What's a hole in the sky supposed to accomplish?"

"Oh nos," Oh whimpered as his skin turned yellow.

"What is it?" Tip questioned.

"Something is approaching the spatial rip," Baymax observed.

Turning their attention to the tear, the group could see that the stars they could see through it were being blacked out as something massive approached it.

" _ **Well,**_ " the Gorg spoke with a chuckle, drawing all their attentions back to the alien, " _ **It seems I've underestimated you and your kind. I've actually come to enjoy my time on your planet.**_ "

Turning his gaze towards the tear, the Gorg began to grin manically as the massive object began to emerge from the tear. As it did, the others could see that it was a spaceship of gargantuan size, pyramidal in shape and made out of jet black metal. As it emerged from the tear, a swarm of smaller, pyramidal ships began to emerge from it, spreading out in all directions like a cloud of locusts.

" _ **I think I'll take it,**_ " the Gorg finished with a laugh.

A/N: What a blast this one turned out to write. I have been planning this chapter since I started this story, so it was great to finally put it to paper. I hope you guys enjoyed it as well. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	32. Centuries

**Chapter 32: Centuries**

As the alien vessel continued to emerge from the portal, news helicopters began buzzing around the perimeter of the KreiTech facilities.

"This is SFNN, coming to you live above the KreiTech campus at the edge of the city," the reporter stated as the camera zoomed in on the spaceship, getting a clear view of the smaller ships swarming around it, "Moments ago, some kind of portal formed in midair, and now, what appears to be some sort of alien ship is emerging."

In the Lucky Cat Café, Cass stood behind the counter, as she and her patrons watched the newsfeed on the restaurant's television, looks of fear and concern on their faces.

"Earlier, we reported that some sort of attack was being carried out at KreiTech," the reporter continued, "Following which was some sort of superpowered brawl."

Sitting in her home, Jill watched the newscast on her television, her mouth covered in horror as Lucy sat next to her, doing her best to comfort the other woman.

"Now, I'm sure the thought on everyone's mind is "Are we witnessing a repeat of the Battle in the Bay?" the reporter questioned, "And, more importantly, "Who will be able to stop it?""

On the ground, the group all looked up at the Gorg's emerging ship with a looks of abject terror.

" _Dios mio_ ," Honey whispered in fear.

"Baymax," Hiro stated, his eyes focused on the sight above him, "Are you getting anything with your scanner?"

"I am not detecting any life signs," Baymax reported, "But the material that these alien vessels are made out of is interfering with my scans."

"What are those, Oh?" Tip questioned.

"That is the Gorg's ship," Oh explained as he turned a bright shade of yellow, "I has spent most of my lifes on its. I had hopes to never be seeings it again."

"What are the smaller ships?" Go Go inquired.

"Drone ships," Oh elaborated, "A fleets ofs automated attack ships."

"Could he….could he really conquer the planet?" Riley asked nervously.

"He has before," Oh answered solemnly.

The group fell quiet as the swarm of drone ships drew closer.

"What are we going to do?" Honey questioned.

At the question, Hiro's expression turned resolute.

"We're going to do what we came here to do," Hiro stated, "We're going to stop the Gorg."

"Stop him?" Wasabi questioned incredulously as he turned his attention towards Hiro, "Are you crazy? This is an alien invasion, Hiro! We're not equipped to deal with something like this! This is something for the Incredibles or the monsters who fought in the Battle in the Bay."

"But they're not here," Hiro pointed out, "We are."

"And that's assuming the Gorg would even give us the option of leaving," Riley added, "And if it did, and someone else did come along to stop it, a lot of people would still die in the process. That's not something I can live with."

The group fell silent for another moment as they glanced at one another.

"Alright," Go Go relented with a sigh, "I wasn't planning on doing anything else today anyway."

"Fighting off an alien invasion?" Fred questioned with a laugh, "You guys couldn't drag me away."

"I'm with you," Honey stated with a nod.

Smiling under her mask, Riley turned her attention towards Tip.

"Like you'd have any chance without me," Tip replied as she slipped her sunglasses back on.

"Alright then," Wasabi stated with a nod, "What's the plan?"

"We do our best to keep things contained here," Hiro explained, "I don't know how, but we need to figure out a way to shut down the portal."

"It can't last," a new voice said, and the group turned to find Krei approaching them, "Without the containment field, the portal will collapse in on itself."

"How long do you think it has?" Wasabi questioned.

"I don't know," Krei admitted, "My scientists barely considered this theoretically possible. All I know is it can't be long."

"You better get out of here then," Hiro stated as he looked back at the rapidly approaching drone ships, "I think things are about to get very dangerous, very quickly."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Krei replied as he turned to flee.

"Mr. Krei!" Riley called, causing the man to pause and turn back towards her, allowing her to gesture towards where Bill lay, "My dad."

Krei looked at where Bill still lay on the ground and stared at the man for a moment before turning his attention back towards Riley and nodding.

"I'll make sure he gets out alright," Krei told her before hustling over to Bill and hoisting the other man to his feet, draping his arm over his shoulders before half carrying, half dragging him away. Riley watched them go for a moment before turning back towards her friends.

"Alright guys," Hiro said, "We have to do everything we can to keep those things contained and keep them from hurting people. That sound good?"

"I have one request," Go Go spoke up.

"What's that?" Wasabi questioned.

"That Tip gives us a beat to kick some alien ass to," Go Go stated as she pointed at the van.

"I am way ahead of you," Tip replied with a grin as she flicked the radio on and turned up the volume.

" _Du du du du-du du du_ ," the radio sang lightly, " _Du du du du du-du du du_."

As Hiro settled in on Baymax's back, the android extended his wings, preparing to take off.

 _Some legends are told!_

Wasabi flicked on his plasma blades, the energy humming as the green light they gave off reflected off the young man's armor.

 _Some turn to dust or to gold!_

Go Go took a moment to stretched out her legs before taking the disks from her back and attaching them to her hands, the magnets on her wrists and ankles humming lightly.

 _But you will remember me!_

Fred took a few warm up hops while stretching his arms, his excitement almost palpable.

 _Remember me,_

Honey quickly imputed a sequence into her bag before taking the three multicolored chemballs it produced.

 _For centuries!_

Riley gathered her microbots to her and formed her nine long tails behind her while sliding into a fighting stance.

 _And just one mistake,_

As Oh fiddled with some of the van's workings, Tip pushed her foot against the gas pedal a few times, causing the vehicle to give off a low, droning, revving noise.

 _Is all it will take._

" **I give you one last chance to surrender,"** the Gorg stated as the drone ships settled into hovering positions all around them, **"Give me what I demand, and I promise your planet will be ruled benevolently**."

 _We'll go down in history!_

Glancing at his friends, Hiro received nods from all of them as they settled into ready stances.

 _Remember me!_

"Yeah, well, I think I speak for all of Earth when I say that you can take that offer and shove it where the sun doesn't shine," Hiro stated with a cocky smirk.

 _For centuries!_

" **Destroy them!"** the Gorg snarled as the drone ships open fire, bolts of sickly green energy lancing out from their triangular tips.

 _Heeeeeyeah, heeeeey, heeeeeyeah_

Zipping in front of her friends, Tip positioned the van between them and a large portion of the drones before activating her shields. At the same time, Honey spun around and slammed her chemballs against the ground. A moment later, a large wall of a hard resinous substance sprung into being between the group and the drones that had taken up position behind them.

 _Remember me!_

Many of the shots fired by the drones impacted against either the shield or the wall, granting the group cover. The energy blasts quickly began to make short work of the resin wall though, and as they impacted against the van's shields, the energy barrier began to ripple and flicker under the prolonged onslaught.

 _For centuries!_

Taking advantage of the cover, Baymax shot into the air, weaving between energy shots as he went. Grabbing hold of a nearby drone, Baymax spun it around and hurled it at another. The impact of the crash sent the second drone flying towards the ground, directly at the Gorg. As the Gorg watched, the drone crashed directly in front of him before exploding, the force of the blast knocking the alien off its feet and sending it smashing through the wall behind it.

 _Mummified my teenage dreams!_

The attack was all the distraction the group needed to split off, forcing the drones to pick which one of them to fire upon. Leaping into the air, Fred landed on top of one of the drones before leaping off again, the force of his jump knocking the drone into the path of another, sending them falling out of the sky in a shower of shrapnel.

 _No, it's nothing wrong with me!_

As a drone flew by him, Fred reached out and dug his suit's claws into the machine's side, the sharp points piercing the metal armor with a screech. Pulling himself up, Fred dug his other claw into the armor siding before ripping it off, exposing a collection of wires and electronics. Reaching in, Fred yanked out a handful of wires, causing the inside of the drone to spark and catch fire. Fred leapt free from the drone as its side exploded and it went careening towards the ground.

 _The kids are all wrong,_

Jumping on to another drone, Fred noticed a second drone drawing a bead on him. As the second drone fired, Fred leapt off the first, allowing the blast to hit the machine and send it crashing to the ground.

 _The story's all off,_

Flipping in the air, Fred planted his feet against the underside of a passing drone before leaping off, sending the drone shooting upwards to crash into another drone.

 _Heavy metal broke my_

As Fred shot back towards the drone that had fired at him, he saw that it was aiming another shot at him. Reaching it before the drone could fire, Fred dug his claws into the front of the machine and used his momentum to swing the ship around so that it was pointing downwards. With the last of his momentum, Fred swung up onto the drone's top just as it fired, the energy blast shooting downwards and slamming into a passing drone, sending it falling to the ground.

 _(bum, bum_ )

Digging his claws into the front of the drone again, Fred ripped off its protective armor before breathing a gout of fire down into its inner workings.

 _Heart!_

As smoke poured out of the hole in the drone's armor, small explosions began to rock it, prompting Fred to leap clear just as exploded, the young man laughing wildly as the flames trailed behind him.

 _Come on, come on, and let me in!_

Go Go shot across the ground at a speed that almost made her appear as a yellow blur to the naked eye, weaving between green energy blasts that tore up the ground in her wake. Looking around, she spotted Wasabi signaling to her.

 _Bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints._

Attaching her disks to her back, Go Go reached out and took Wasabi's hands as she got to him. Using her momentum to his advantage, Wasabi lifted Go Go up and spun her around before tossing her into the air.

 _And this is supposed to match,_

Flipping in the air so that she was upright, Go Go landed on one of the drones, grinding along its pyramidal top as she retrieved her disks from her back. Leaping off the drone, Go Go flipped and pirouetted in air before hurling one of her disks at the drone, striking its propulsion system and knocking it out of the air.

 _The darkness that you felt._

Still spinning, Go Go threw her other disk at another drone, striking it on the nose with enough force to send it careening into a third drone, causing them to smash together and explode. Spinning again, Go Go kicked one of her foot disks at a drone just as it was firing. The disk struck the drone on the nose, causing its shot to go wide and strike one of its fellow drones, sending it falling from the air in a cloud of smoke and fire.

 _I never meant for you to fix yourself!_

Flipping again, Go Go landed on a passing drone with her single remaining disk. Flowing into a handstand on top of the drone, Go Go used the magnets in her gloves to grip onto the drone's armor plating. As Go Go swung her feet into the air, one of her disks flew back to her and attached to her ankle. Swinging herself downward, Go Go slammed both of her feet disks against the drone's propulsion system, breaking it in a belch of smoke.

 _Du du du du-du du du_

As the drone began falling towards the ground, Go Go leapt off of it, stretching out her arms so that she could catcher her two other returning disks. Flipping and spinning through the air, Go Go lashed out with all four of her disks, striking four, separate drones and sending them crashing into other drones in their tightly packed swarm formations.

 _Du du du du du-du du du_

Landing back on the ground in a handstand, Go Go windmilled her legs through the air, catching two of her returning disks on her ankles. Spinning herself back into an upright position, Go Go continued twirling in place, grabbing her other two disks out of the air as she did. As Go Go finally skidded to a stop, the drones she had knocked out crashed to the ground around her, illuminating her with their fiery explosions.

 _Some legends are told!_

"Wasabi!" Go Go cried out, snapping the young man back to reality after having stared at her in amazement. Glancing around, Wasabi saw that he was now surrounded by a group of drones hovering in place.

 _Some turn to dust or to gold!_

Fear written on his face, Wasabi quickly flicked his plasma blades back on just as one of the drones fired at him. Reacting instinctively, Wasabi slashed at the incoming energy bolt and deflected it with his plasma blade. The energy bolt slammed into one of the other drones, causing it to explode. Looking down at his plasma blades in amazement for a moment, a confident grin spread across Wasabi's features as he turned his attention towards the remaining drones.

 _But you will remember me!_

"Do or do not," Wasabi whispered to himself, "There is no try."

 _Remember me,_

All at once, the drones opened fired on Wasabi. In reply, Wasabi began waving his arms wildly about him, blocking and deflecting every blast that came his way, the rapport of the laser weapons and the hum of his plasma blades just drowning out the special effects noises the young man was unconsciously making with his mouth.

 _For centuries!_

As Wasabi continued deflecting shots, he began eliminating the drones with their own fire, including taking out one luckless drone as it flew past. Eventually, only one drone was left firing helplessly at Wasabi as the young man drew closer to it.

 _And just one mistake,_

Batting away a final energy blast, Wasabi let out a yell before driving one of his energy blades directly into the drone's nose, causing the weapon inside to explode and rupture part of the drone's armor. Still shouting, Wasabi began running down the drone's side, dragging his blade through it as he went, leaving a deep, burning cut in his wake.

 _Is all it will take._

Reaching the rear of the drone, Wasabi pulled the plasma blade free with a flourish. As he stood with his arm extended in front of him, the drone hovered behind him for a moment before toppling onto its side and exploding.

 _We'll go down in history!_

Standing up straight, Wasabi flicked his arm to the side before shutting off his plasma blade, the wreck of a drone burning behind him.

 _Remember me!_

"You done, Obi-Wan?" Go Go questioned as she skated up besides Wasabi, causing him to jump in surprise as she cocked an eyebrow and grinned at him.

"Uh, yeah," Wasabi replied as he fought the blush of embarrassment that was forming on his face.

"Good," Go Go replied as she skated off, "Because we've got like a thousand more of these things left to go. Come on!"

 _For centuries!_

"O-Okay," Wasabi called after her self-consciously, "I looked cool though, right?"

Wasabi only received Go Go's laughter in reply.

 _Heeeeeyeah, heeeeey, heeeeeyeah_

Flying through the air, Tip steered her way through the swarm of drones as they flew and shot at her from every direction. As one flew directly at her, Tip switched on the van's shield and crashed into the drone, the machine crushed against it like a bug against a windshield.

 _Remember me!_

Turning sharply, Tip slammed the side of the van against one of the drones, sending it careening out of control before it slammed into a building and exploded.

 _For centuries!_

Noticing a volley of fire that was coming from behind her, Tip spun the van around and threw it into reverse, allowing her to see the half dozen drones that were pursuing her. Flicking on the van's cannon, Tip fired a concussive blast at the drones, the wave of force scattering them like leaves in the wind. As they fell, some of them crashed into other drones that were flying by, creating a shower of debris that slammed onto the ground below.

 _And I can't stop 'til the whole world knows my name!_

Gathering the microbots beneath her, Riley rose a dozen feet into the air on a column of tiny robots, held in place as they swarmed up to her waist. Waving her hand in one direction, Riley whipped a tendril at one of the drones, slapping it out of the air like a fly. Swinging her hand back around, she smacked another drone to the side, slamming it into a second drone and sending them both crashing to the ground.

' _Cause I was only born inside my dreams!_

Turning around, Riley found a drone barreling straight at her from the side. Facing the oncoming drone, Riley made a downward pushing motion with her hands, causing the column of microbots to compress like a spring. Then, a second before the drone reached her, Riley whipped her hands above her head, which caused the column to spring upwards. As it did, the top portion broke free from the rest of the column, the momentum carrying Riley and the microbots higher in the air, leaving a gap between her and the column. The drone shot into this gap, but before it could pass harmlessly underneath Riley, she whipped her hands upwards again, causing the column to surge upwards like a piston, smashing against the bottom of the drone and crushing it against the microbots Riley was standing on.

 _Until you die for me,_

As Riley looked down at the pancaked remains of the drone now trapped in her microbots, she made a swirling motion with one hand, causing the tiny robots to swarm over the wrecked machine until it completely disappeared beneath their black forms. Turning her attention skyward, she spotted Wasabi's van streaking through the air, a drone hot on its tail, blasts of emerald energy chasing after the flying automobile.

 _As long as there's a light,_

Curling her hands into fists, Riley drew her arms close to her side. In doing so, the microbot column turned so that Riley faced the direction the van was flying towards while the tiny robots bunched up behind the wreck of the drone.

 _My shadow's over you 'cause_

Tracking the drone with her eyes, Riley waited calmly for a moment before she thrust her fists forward. As she did, the microbots below her suddenly surged forward, forcefully expelling the wrecked drone and sending it flying through the air. The wrecked drone tumbled end over end for a moment before it slammed into the drone that had been chasing after the van, sending both ruined machines falling to the ground.

 _I am the opposite of amnesia!_

Having lost her pursuer, Tip swung the van around so that it was arching towards Riley. Seeing the van coming, Riley formed two strands of microbots on her arms and whipped them at the van as it flew by. As the microbots latched onto the van, Riley pulled herself toward the van, a chunk of the microbots wrapped around her waist coming with her.

 _And you're a cherry blossom!_

Swinging herself up onto the top of the van, Riley used the mircrobots around her waist to secure herself to the vehicle's roof. Glancing around quickly, Riley lashed out with one of the microbot tendrils at a nearby drone, wrapping it around the machine and holding it tightly. Turning her attention to her other side, Riley lashed out with the other tendril and snagged a second drone, dragging both behind the van as it flew through the air.

 _You're about to bloom!_

Whipping her arms around wildly, Riley began swinging the captured drones around like oversized flails. Metal screeched and sparks flew as Riley slammed the captured drones against their fellows, knocking them out of the sky with frightening ease.

 _You look so pretty, but you're gone so soon!_

Pulling both captured drones back to her, their metal frames now dented and broken, Riley pushed the two broken machines together, the alien metal screeching as her microbots swarmed over it. After the microbots had compacted themselves as tightly as the two wrecked drones would allow, Riley gestured upwards with her hands, causing the ball of tiny robots to spring into the air.

 _Du du du du-du du du_

As it did, Riley suddenly threw her hands wide, causing the microbots to explode outward, sending shrapnel from the destroyed drones to shoot in all directions above her head. Zipping through the air, the shrapnel ripped through a dozen or so other drones as they passed, sending them all crashing to the ground.

 _Du du du du du-du du du_

Running along the ground, dodging laser fire and falling drones, Honey scanned the sky above her. Reaching down to her bag, she quickly imputed a variety of chemical combinations and took hold of the multicolored balls that were dispensed.

 _Some legends are told!_

Hurling one upwards, Honey struck a passing drone with a neon green chemball. As the chemball broke against the drone's side, it splattered the metal plating with a green liquid. Within a few seconds, the liquid began to bubble as it ate through the armor plating, creating a cloud of noxious fumes as it did so. After a few moments, the inner working of the drone began to spark as the acidic liquid burned through them. Within the space of another moment, the drone had burst into flames before it crashed to the ground.

 _Some turn to dust or to gold!_

Turning to another drone, Honey hurled a bright pink chemball at it. The chemball struck the drone right on one of its tips, causing it to break open. As it did, the drone was suddenly enveloped in pink foam that clung to its armored sides. The foam completely covered the drone's propulsion system, completely cutting it off and causing the drone to drop out of the sky like a stone before it harmlessly bounced and rolled along the ground.

 _But you will remember me!_

Taking hold of the third chemball, frosty blue in color, Honey hurled it straight into the air. As the chemball reached its apex, it was struck by a passing drone, shattering it and splashing its contents in every direction. As the half dozen drones in the splash zone were splattered with the chemical, they suddenly found themselves frozen as the blue liquid solidified into ice. With their internal workings seizing up, the drones were sent plummeting out of the sky.

 _Remember me,_

Palming a chemball that was a swirl of black and purple in color, Honey hurled it at a passing drone. As it broke against the drone's armor, the chemball released a black sludge that clung to the side of the machine. As it settled, a low humming started coming from the sludge as sparks of electricity shot off of it.

 _For centuries!_

After a moment, the drone began to shake as more electricity shot off of the sludge. Suddenly, the drone swerved to the side and slammed against another drone, the humming noise growing louder as the two drones magnetically clung to one another. As the two drones' propulsion systems sent them spinning through the air, they slammed into other drones, causing them to become stuck as well.

 _And just one mistake,_

Eventually, a dozen drones had become stuck together in a swirling ball of flying metal. As the ball swerved erratically through the air, the combined weight of the drones eventually dragged the whole thing to the ground. As the ball of drones spun uselessly against the dirt, Honey approached it, palming a crimson chemball as she did. Taking a lunging step towards the ball, Honey pitched the chemball at the trapped drones. The moment the chemball stuck them, an explosion ripped through the drones, the resulting fireball forcing Honey to cover her face as the resulting shockwave forced her back a step. As she lowered her hands, Honey smiled as she saw that there was nothing left of the drones other than a burning mound of scrap metal.

 _Is all it will take._

Soaring through the air, Baymax zipped around the flurry of lasers being fired at him by the drones. Flying up to one of them, Baymax grabbed hold of it before spinning around and hammer tossing it. The drone tumbled wildly through the air for a moment before it slammed into another drone, the impact causing both machines to explode.

 _We'll go down in history!_

"Baymax, behind us!" Hiro called. In response, Baymax spun around, just as an approaching drone opened fire on them. Crossing his arms in front of himself, Baymax took the brunt of the blast on his armor, the impact knocking him back a few feet. Recovering, Baymax turned to follow the drone as it flew by and shot one of his rocket fists after it. Quickly catching up to the drone, the fist slammed against the machine's backside, destroying its propulsion system and sending it spinning out of the air as the fist returned to Baymax.

 _Remember me!_

"There are too many drones," Baymax reported as he dodged around another green energy blast and blocking a second. Glancing at the drones swarming around them, a thought occurred to Hiro.

 _For centuries!_

"Maybe we should split up!" Hiro said before activating his communicator, "Oh, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Hiro Hamada," Oh's voice said through his headset, "I am hearings you."

"Do you know how these drones work?" Hiro questioned, "Like their controls and guidance systems?"

"Yes, I has been workings on them befores," Oh replied, "Why are you askings this question?"

"Because I'm about to do something either really stupid, or really cool," Hiro answered, his eyes focused on a drone flying beneath Baymax, "I'll let you know how it goes!"

 _Heeeeeyeah, heeeeey, heeeeeyeah_

With that, Hiro leapt from Baymax's back, his arms pinwheeling as he fell through the open air.

"Hiro!" Baymax called as he looked down at the falling boy.

"Holy shit!" Tip exclaimed as she and Oh flew towards Hiro.

 _Remember me!_

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Hiro did his best to direct himself towards the passing drone. As he slammed against the drone's armored side, Hiro's screams abruptly cut out as the impact forced the air out of his lungs. Gasping for breath as his mind screamed in panic, Hiro began rolling off the drone's smooth side. Reaching out, Hiro slapped his hands against the drone's armor plating, his magnetic gloves clinging to the metal and halting his fall. Taking a few calming breathes, Hiro pulled himself up onto the drone, clinging to the machine's pyramidal top.

 _For centuries!_

Listening as Oh fed him instructions through his communicator, Hiro opened a panel on the drone's side, granting him access to its inner workings. Reaching his hand into the opening, Hiro fiddled around for a few moments before the drone suddenly dropped and bucked wildly in the air. Holding on tightly, Hiro continued to play with the workings until the drone leveled out again, a grin spreading across his face as he found he could control the machine's movements.

 _We've been here forever,_

Pulling itself through the hole it had created in one of the building's wall, the Gorg stopped and watched the destructive battle unfold, its tentacular hands curling into tight balls.

 _And here's the frozen proof!_

"Master!" Smek called as he ran over to the Gorg and prostrated himself on the ground, "I has summoned your mighty armada! Theys shall crush these puny humans likes insects!"

 _I could scream forever,_

" **Crush?"** the Gorg asked with a snarl before it looked down at Smek, **"Crush!?"**

Reaching down, the Gorg wrapped one of its tentacles around Smek's neck and held him aloft, forcing him to watch the battle.

 _We are the poisoned youth!_

" **DOES IT LOOK LIKE THEY'RE BEING CRUSHED TO YOU!?"**

 _Du du du_

Swooping low over the battlefield, Hiro chased after another drone, firing several energy blasts into its rear and sending it crashing to the ground.

 _Du-du du du_

Leaping into the air, Wasabi cut a drone clean in half, shouting at the top of his lungs as sparks showered around him.

 _Du du du du_

Falling from above, Fred landed on one of the drones flying low to the ground, slamming it into the earth.

 _Du-du du du_

The discs on her hands spinning rapidly, Go Go slammed them against the top of a drone, the disks digging into the armor plating as sparks flew.

 _Du du du_

Drifting through a turn, Tip slammed the side of the van into one of the drones, causing it to bounce off the vehicle's shield and go tumbling through the air before crashing into another drone, causing both to explode.

 _Du-du du du_

Grabbing a handful of chemballs, Honey spun around and hurled them into the air, creating a large explosion that destroyed half a dozen drones.

 _Du du du du_

Waving her hand upward, Riley caused a wall of microbots to surge up in front of her. She followed up by thrusting her other hand forward, causing spikes to burst out of the wall, skewering a few drones in the process.

 _Du-du du du_

Grabbing hold of a passing drone, Baymax gripped it by both ends before pulling on them. With a screech of metal, Baymax split the drone in half before throwing the remains on the ground.

 _Some legends are told!_

"I feels I must be sayings no," Smek answered.

 _Some turn to dust or to gold!_

" **It would seem these skum require more forceful methods of persuasion,"** the Gorg stated as it dropped Smek onto the ground, **"We are returning to the ship."**

"But Master," Smek protested, "What of-"

" **These human's have proven to be nothing if not predictable,"** the Gorg cut him off, **"They will follow in order to save the female, and when they do, they will be bringing what I desire to me."**

 _But you will remember me!_

A few moments after he spoke, a drone flew down and hovered next to the Gorg, prompting it and Smek to climb up onto the machine, which promptly lifted off.

 _Remember me,_

Looking around the battlefield as she flew, Tip spotted the drone the Gorg and Smek were riding rising up towards the ship that was still emerging from the portal.

"Guys!" Tip called over the communicators, "The Gorg's making a break for it!"

 _For centuries!_

"We have to stop him!" Riley replied as she looked up and spotted the retreating alien, "If he gets back to his ship, he'll kill Abigail!"

"To say nothing about what that big ship might be capable of!" Wasabi added.

 _Just one mistake,_

"We can't all just go after him though," Fred argued as he bounced between drones, "If we don't contain these ships, they might go after the city!"

 _Is all it will take._

"We'll have to split up then," Hiro replied as he angled his drone to go after the Gorg's, "Riley, Tip, Oh, Baymax and I will go after the Gorg. The rest of you can contain the drones."

 _We'll go down in history!_

"Hiro, you can't!" Honey replied, desperation in her voice, watching as Baymax picked up Riley and began flying up towards the ship, microbots swarming over his back, "We don't know what's up there!"

 _Remember me!_

"We have to," Hiro replied, as Baymax and the van fell in behind him, "We can't let Abigail die. Not when we can do something about it. It's what Tadashi would have done."

 _For centuries!_

A short, meaningful pause followed.

"Good luck," Honey all but whispered.

 _Heeeeeyeah, heeeeey!_

"I'm going to try to take his drone out," Hiro said as he closed in on the Gorg, "If I can do that, it should give us time to save Abigail."

Pulling up behind the Gorg's drone, Hiro opened fire, the green blasts of energy lancing around the alien but not scoring a hit.

 _We'll go down in history!_

 **"Insolent whelp!"** the Gorg snarled as he looked back at Hiro. A moment later, two other drones came flying down from the ship, firing rapidly at Hiro as they came. His eyes widening in fear, Hiro leapt free of his drone a moment before the energy blasts slammed into it and destroyed the machine.

 _Heeeeeyeah!_

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Hiro fell through the air as debris showered around him. Before he had fallen very far though, a tendril of microbots wrapped around his stomach and yanked him into Baymax's waiting hand.

 _Remember me!_

"Thanks!" Hiro said to Riley as she removed the microbot tendril from him and called it back to her position in Baymax's other hand.

"No problem," Riley replied as Tip blasted the two oncoming drones out of the way with the van's pulse cannon. Looking up, she saw the Gorg disappear into the rapidly approaching form of the ship.

" _I don't think he should be thanking us_ ," Fear whispered in her mind, " _I think whatever is up there will be much worse_."

 _For centuries!_

A/N: Well, this was a doozy to write, but I loved every moment of it. This is another scene I've been thinking about for awhile, so it's great to finally put it out there. Hope you guys enjoyed it as well. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	33. Belly of the Beast

**Chapter 33: Belly of the Beast**

As Baymax and the van shot towards the massive space ship that was still emerging through the portal, the group saw the drone carrying the Gorg and Smek disappear into an opening along the side of the ship's long, pointed prow.

"Follow him, Baymax!" Hiro ordered as he pointed towards where the drone had gone.

"Are you sure we should?" Tip questioned over their comms, "We're heading into his home turf. What if he wants us to follow him and we're walking into a trap?"

"What choice do we have?" Riley retorted, "If we don't go after him, he's going to kill Abigail."

"Riley's right," Hiro agreed, "Trap or not, we can't let the Gorg hurt anyone else."

It Tip had any further objections, she kept them to herself as the group began flying alongside the Gorg's ship. As they went, they spotted the opening that the Gorg had disappeared through, a long, rectangular doorway that resembled the entrance to a plane hanger. Veering towards the opening, Baymax and the van swept in through the door.

The inside of the Gorg's ship resembled the outside, constructed of the same dark metal as the vessel's hull. The interior was also dimly lit, with a sparse few lights in the ceiling providing a small amount of illumination and casting the rest of the hanger in shadows. Quickly glancing around, Riley saw a number of what looked like a number of large racks on either side of the hanger. As she looked closer, she realized that each of the racks held dozens of unactivated drones.

" _How many of these things does it have?_ " Fear whispered.

" _It's like Oh said_ ," Sadness replied, " _Enough to conquer a planet_."

As they came screaming into the hanger, Hiro caught sight of the Gorg just as it and Smek hopped off the drone they had been riding.

"There it is, Baymax!" Hiro shouted as he pointed a finger at the Gorg, "Get it!"

Following the order, Baymax accelerated forward, dropping Hiro and Riley to the ground as he went. Hearing the cry, the Gorg had enough time to turn towards Baymax before the android slammed into it, lifting the alien off its feet. Baymax only managed to knock the Gorg off balance for a moment though and the alien quickly dug its heels in against the metal floor and ground the android's momentum to a halt.

Snarling in anger, the Gorg wrapped its tentacles around Baymax's arms before tossing him to the side, sending the android rolling across the floor. As Smek scrambled for cover, the drone the two had ridden in on turned towards Baymax, its tip glowing with green energy. Before the drone could fire though, a pulse shot from the van slammed into it, sending the alien machine crashing into a nearby wall.

"Nice job!" Riley called over the comm system.

"Thanks, but we better make this quick!" Tip replied as the van floated to a stop, "I don't have a lot of room to maneuver in here."

Nodding her head in understanding, Riley turned her attention towards the Gorg, who was marching in Baymax's direction as the android picked himself up off the floor. Whipping her hand at the Gorg, Riley formed a tendril of microbots that wrapped itself around one of the alien's upper tentacles and attempted to yank it backwards. The force was enough to turn the Gorg slightly before the alien caught itself and refused to be moved another inch. Glaring in Riley's direction, the Gorg yanked its arm tentacle back, snapping the tendril and releasing it.

Turning back towards Baymax, the Gorg faced the android just as he threw a sucker punch at the alien's head. As such, the blow struck the Gorg directly in the face, knocking it off its feet. As it was knocked into the air, Riley snapped her hand out again, wrapping a tendril of microbots around the alien's midsection before slamming it against the ground.

Snarling, the Gorg snapped the tendril of microbots before standing up and looking around, spotting Smek cowering nearby.

 **"Smek!"** the Gorg bellowed, smacking another tendril of microbots away as it did, **"Get the others! I grow tired of this game!"**

"Yes, Master!" Smek replied before scurrying away.

Turning back towards Baymax, the Gorg ducked as the android flew at it and swung his fist at its head. Ducking beneath the attack, the Gorg allowed Baymax to pass over it slightly before the alien leapt upwards, slamming into the android's midsection and lifting him up into the air before smashing him against the ceiling. Still holding Baymax, the Gorg landed back on the hanger floor before it tossed the android away, sending him crashing into one of the racks of drones.

After tossing Baymax away, the Gorg was suddenly tripped as a swarm of microbots pooled around the alien's feet and yanked it to the ground. Grunting in pain, the Gorg quickly pulled its legs free and rolled upright, avoiding Riley's attempt to envelop it in a wave of microbots. Snarling, the Gorg leapt over the microbots as the swarm rushed at it again, soaring through the air towards Riley.

Before the Gorg could reach Riley, Baymax came flying in from behind it, slamming into the alien's back and tackling it into a rack of drones on the other side of the hanger, the impact jarring a few of the drones loose, sending them clattering to the floor. As Baymax landed on his feet, he quickly scooped one of the drones up and smacked the Gorg across the face with it, forcing the alien onto all fours. Lifting the drone up, Baymax slammed it against the Gorg's back, slamming it onto its stomach.

As Baymax lifted the drones above his head to strike again, the Gorg whipped one of its leg tentacles around, tripping up the android's feet and sending him crashing to the ground. Rolling to its feet, the Gorg scooped up the drone that Baymax had dropped before swinging it in a downward arc that struck the android on the side, the blow sending the robot rolling across the floor. As Baymax rolled to a stop and began picking himself off the floor, he raised his head to look at the Gorg. As he did, Baymax found the Gorg pointing the drone at him, the tip glowing green with charging energy. Before Baymax could do anything, the Gorg fired a blast from the drone, the green energy striking the android in the chest and sending him flying across the hangar.

As the Gorg lowered its weapon, a pulse blast struck it on the side, sending it rolling across the floor and forcing it to drop the drone it had been carrying. Lifting its head, the Gorg saw Tip piloting the van towards it, the pulse cannon attached to the undercarriage humming as it charged another shot. Picking up the dropped drone, the Gorg rolled forward, coming up in a crouched stance underneath the van. Swinging the drone upwards, the Gorg struck the bottom of the van, the force of the blow causing the vehicle to go flipping through the air.

Tip and Oh let out screams of panic as the van flipped end over end across the hangar before slamming into a wall with a crash, denting the roof and shattering the passenger window. After striking the wall, the van landed upright on the floor, its hover jets dying with a sputter.

Turning towards where the van had crashed, the Gorg leveled the drone at the vehicle, the machine's tip glowing green as it prepared to fire. Before it could, a tendril of microbots whipped around the end of the drone and yanked it to the side just as it fired, causing the green blast to slam into the ground, scorching the metal of the floor.

Before the Gorg could react, Riley stepped forward and thrust a fist at the alien, creating a column of microbots that surged forward and slammed into the Gorg's face, forcing it to drop the drone. Before the drone could hit the ground, Riley made a slashing motion with her hand, causing the column to flow apart into a swarm of microbots that snatched the drone out of the air. Raising her hands above her head, Riley caused the microbots to lift the drone up by one of its ends. Clasping her hands together like she was holding a baseball bat, Riley swung her arms across her body, causing the microbots to swing the drone in a mirror of her motion, striking the Gorg across the face with the machine, knocking the alien flat as the drone buckled and warped under the force of the blow.

Swiping her hands to the side, Riley prompted the microbot swarm to toss the broken drone to the side before she made a pushing motion that caused the tiny robots to go racing towards the Gorg. The microbot swarm reached the Gorg just as it finished standing up, crawling up the alien's legs and attempting to pull it to the ground. Roaring in rage, the Gorg began swiping its arm tentacles at its legs, sending fistsfuls of microbots scattering across the hanger floor.

Distracted by the microbot assault, the Gorg didn't notice Baymax approaching it until the android had landed in front of it. The Gorg had enough time to raise its head before Baymax struck the alien on the chin with an uppercut. The force of the blow was enough to knock the Gorg off its feet and free it from the grip of the microbot swarm. Shooting upwards, the Gorg hit the hanger ceiling with enough force to dent it, the sound of metal striking metal echoing through the cavernous chamber.

Before gravity could pull the Gorg back towards the floor, a thick column of microbots shot up from below and slammed into the alien, crushing it further against the ceiling. A moment later, the microbots swarmed around the Gorg's chest and latched onto it before yanking the alien downwards and slamming it against the floor with another loud clang. Laying stunned for a moment, the Gorg wasn't able to resist as Baymax rested a foot against the alien's chest and pointed his fist at its face.

"Surrender is advisable," Baymax informed the Gorg.

" **Very well,"** the Gorg replied with a predatory grin, **"I accept your surrender."**

"We're not surrendering," Riley stated as she stepped up next to Baymax, "You are."

" **Oh? Am I now?"** the Gorg questioned before letting out a laugh that caused the hairs on the back of Riley's neck to stand on end, **"No, I think not."**

" _Something's wrong here_ ," Fear whispered.

"We have the upperhand here," Hiro pointed out as he stood on Baymax's other side.

The Gorg laughed again, putting them all on edge this time.

" **Did you really think you could come onto my ship, my home, and have the upperhand?"** the Gorg questioned, his voice dripping with a poisonous cocktail of mirth and contempt, **"Oh, you poor, little fools."**

The Gorg's words were punctuated by the sound of shattering glass followed by a scream. Snapping her head in the direction the sound had come from, Riley watched with wide eyes as a pair of Boov dragged the struggling Tip through the driver side window of the crashed van as a dozen more of the aliens swarmed over it.

"Tip!" Riley screamed as she moved to help her friend, leaving her unprepared as the Gorg lashed out with one of its leg tentacles as struck her in the stomach. The blow knocked Riley clear off her feet, sending her tumbling across the hangar floor. Riley grasped her stomach as she rolled to a stop, taking deep, painful gulps of air.

"Riley!" Hiro shouted, his voice filled with fear as he ran over to the girl's side. Baymax watched him go, giving the Gorg enough of a distraction to push the android's foot off of its chest. Before Baymax could react, the Gorg reached up and wrapped all four of its tentacles around the android's arm, holding it in place. With a snarl of effort, the Gorg began pulling at the gauntlet before eventually ripping it off in a shower of sparks and screeching metal.

Falling to the floor as Baymax stumbled back, the Gorg quickly rolled to its feet and rushed at the android. Before Baymax could react, the Gorg slammed its shoulder into the android's chest and knocked him flat on his back. Baymax attempted to rise, but the Gorg quickly stepped over the android and slammed one of its leg tentacles against the robot's chest, forcing him onto his back. The Gorg proceeded to stamp on Baymax's chest a half dozen more times, the blows denting and warping the metal armor. Finally, the Gorg stepped completely on top of Baymax's chest and leapt up before slamming the weight of its entire body onto the android's body, causing the armor to completely buckle under the force of the blow. Stepping off of Baymax's chest, the Gorg reached down and yanked the front of the android's breastplate off in a shower of sparks before tossing it aside, sending the now ruined metal skittering across the hangar floor.

Standing over Baymax, the Gorg raised its arms above its head, ready to bring them down on the android with a crushing blow. Before it could though, Riley lashed out with a pair of microbot tendrils from behind, grabbing hold of the Gorg and holding him in place. Looking back over its shoulder, the Gorg locked eyes with Riley, who was kneeling on the floor with Hiro crouching beside her, her arms outstretched towards the alien.

"Leave him alone!" Riley shouted, anger rolling off of her like heat from a flame.

" **I do not believe you are in a bargaining position, whelp,"** the Gorg stated with a bloodthirsty grin.

Another scream sliced through the air again, causing Riley and Hiro to both look in the direction it had come from. They found Smek holding Tip up in front of him with one of his tentacles wrapped around her neck, the other clutching some kind of futuristic looking gun that he held pressed to the girl's head. Behind her, they could see Oh being held to the ground by two other Boov.

"I am suggesting that you be immediately surrendering," Smek stated with a dangerous smirk.

Riley's eyes widened in horror as she looked at her friend, before her eyes focused on Smek, her eyes narrowing to angry slits behind her mask. As she glared at him, Smek's skin took on a yellow shade as let out a whine of pain and he began scrunching his face up in agony. Riley's psychic assault was cut off though when the Gorg suddenly stepped between her and Smek. As he did, Riley felt an alien sense of emotion wash over, a mixture of common feelings and ones that she had never experienced before. The sensation caught Riley off guard and she physically rocked backwards and would have fallen backwards if Hiro hadn't been there to steady her.

" **I grow tired of your mind games,"** the Gorg stated, his eyes practically boring a hole through Riley's head, **"Attempt that again and you will be mourning your friend's headless corpse."**

Looking over at Tip, Riley saw that Smek had recollected himself and had placed the gun back against her temple. Riley locked eyes with Tip and felt a flood of fear and sadness fill her up. Glancing over at Hiro, Riley held his gaze for a second and it was in that moment that she knew what they had to do.

" _What do we do?_ " Anger questioned.

" _The only thing we can do_ ," Sadness replied.

"Alright," Riley said with a sigh as she lifted her hands up and removed her mask, causing the microbots around her to suddenly fall to the ground in loose piles, "We give up."

"Hiro?" Baymax questioned, looking over at the boy as he slowly began pushing himself back to his feet.

"Stand down, Baymax," Hiro stated as he gestured to the android to stay where he was. Baymax looked hesitantly between Hiro and Tip before he settled into his neutral stance.

" **Very good,"** the Gorg growled with a nod, before reaching out with one of its tentacles, **"Now, give me what I desire."**

Riley responded by reaching down into one of the piles of microbots and fishing around for a moment before pulling out the oval stone that she had taken from Callaghan. Lifting it up, she held it out so that the Gorg could see it. The Gorg quickly stomped over to where Riley was and reached down to take the stone from her but stopped as the girl quickly pulled it out of the alien's reach.

"Promise me you'll spare my friends," Riley said quickly.

The Gorg glared at Riley for a moment before grinning broadly.

" **Even now, you make the demands,"** the Gorg commented with a chuckle, **"You have gall, whelp, and I admire gall. I will spare your friends. I assume you wish to be spared as well?"**

"Uh, yeah, yes, please," Riley quickly replied, "Abigail too!"

" **Of course, all aboard this ship shall be spared,"** the Gorg replied before the grin fell away, **"Now, give it to me."**

Reluctantly, Riley held the stone back out to the Gorg, who quickly snatched it from her grasp. Holding it up, the Gorg gazed at the stone for a quiet moment before reaching out and running the tip of one of its tentacles carefully, almost lovingly, across the stone's surface.

" **Release the child, Smek,"** the Gorg stated as he continued to stare at the stone.

Smek seemed to hesitate for a moment, before he snarled in disgust and shoved Tip away from him, causing her to stumble for a moment before falling to her knees. Riley glared at Smek for a moment before turning her attention back towards the Gorg.

"And Abigail?" Riley questioned.

" **Of course,"** the Gorg said, finally tearing its eyes away from the stone and looking at Riley, **"I am just as eager to have our transaction completed."**

With that, the Gorg turned away from Riley and Hiro before motioning for them to follow. As they fell in line behind the Gorg, Baymax joined them as they walked by where Tip was still kneeling on the ground. Rushing over to Tip's side, Riley leaned down and helped the other girl to her feet before quickly pulling her into a hug.

"Are you okay?" Riley questioned as she pulled out of the hug.

"I'm alright," Tip replied, though Riley could tell that she was still shaken, "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," Riley admitted, doing her best to look brave for her friend, "But we'll think of something."

"Be moving now, humans," Smek spoke up as he gestured aggressively at the group with his gun, "We are not having all the times for your standings here."

Reluctantly, the group continued to follow the Gorg, the rest of the Boov leading Oh along as they went. Together the group made their way through the bowels of the ship, which seemed to be made up of nothing but endless, dimly lit corridors.

Eventually, the group came to a massive chamber that Riley guessed was somewhere near the middle of the pyramidal ship. Indeed, the room itself was pyramidal in shape, with each of its four sides displaying some kind of screen, each of which showed images of the battle that was apparently still raging outside, while each of the four corners held an entrance. What appeared to be computer consoles sat facing each of the screens, at which Boov were busily entering commands, their gazes focused on the screens. At the center of the room sat a large metallic chair that looked like the cross between a captain's chair and a throne.

"Where are we?" Hiro demanded, his eyes drifting to the image of the drones still swarming through the air over the KreiTech campus, "I thought you were bringing us to Abigail."

" **I thought it would be easier if we met halfway,"** the Gorg explained.

As it spoke, the group heard a grunt coming from the entrance directly across the room from them. Looking in that direction, the group saw a pair of Boov emerge, holding up Abigail as they went, causing her legs to drag against the ground. Once they reached where the others were, the Boov let Abigail drop to the ground, the young woman groaning as she lay with her face pressed against the black floor.

"Abigail!" Riley exclaimed as she, Hiro and Tip quickly kneeled over the young woman, "Are you alright?"

Letting out a cough, Abigail managed to lift herself up enough to look at the kids, allowing the group to see that her face was dirty and bruised as a look of confusion crossing her features.

"Who are you?" Abigail questioned, her voice hoarse.

"I'm Hiro Hamada," Hiro answered before motioning to the girls, "These are Riley Andersen and Tip Tucci. We're here to rescue you."

Abigail looked between the three children for a few moments before a small smile crossed her features.

"Aren't you guys a little short to be Stormtroopers?" Abigail questioned with a chuckle.

"Maybe" Hiro replied with a smirk of his own, "But we're here all the same."

Glancing around, Abigail took in the sight of the Boov surrounding them as well as the Gorg, who had sat upon the chair in the center of the room, examining the stone oval Riley had given him.

"I don't mean to criticize, but it doesn't seem to be going very well," Abigail commented as she settled herself on her knees.

"Well, with any luck, we should be getting you out of here soon all the same," Riley reassured her.

"She's right," Hiro stated as he turned his attention towards the Gorg and stood up, a determined look on his face, "Hey, I thought we had a deal."

Slowly, the Gorg turned its gaze towards Hiro and seemed to study the boy for a few moments. After a silent moment, the Gorg grinned broadly.

" **Of course,"** the Gorg answered, **"I will bring our business to a close gladly."**

With that, the Gorg turned his attention toward Smek, who was standing near one of the consoles.

" **Smek,"** the Gorg stated, **"Activate the main weapon."**

"With most joy, Master," Smek replied with a savage grin before shouting something at the other Boov in a language that the group did not understand.

"Weapon!?" Riley demanded, "What are you doing!?"

" **This could have been so much simpler,"** the Gorg lamented, turning his gaze towards the group, **"If you had merely given me what I wanted when I demanded it, I would have already left this world in peace. But you defied me, and now you and the rest of your pathetic kind shall learn the price of defiance."**

As he spoke, the picture on the screens surrounding them changed, with many showing readings that the group could not decipher. The screen directly behind the Gorg changed to a schematic of the ship, which looked like an oversized version of the drones. As they watched, lines of energy ran down the sides of the ship before concentrating on one of the points.

"You can't!" Tip exclaimed, her fear rising exponentially.

"You promised everyone would be spared!" Hiro added angrily.

" **I swore everyone on this ship would live,"** the Gorg corrected, **"I said nothing about those on the planet beneath it."**

"You monster!" Riley snarled.

" **Waste your breath on whatever insults you wish,"** the Gorg replied, **"But I suggest you accept your lot now. Better to live as a slave than die to the power of this vessel."**

Riley, Hiro and Tip looked at each other in horror before their gazes turned towards the screen, watching as the ship prepared to kill their friends and loved ones.

" _What are we going to do_?" Sadness whispered.

A/N: Ended up having a lot of fun with this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it as well! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


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